Pensive
by AlyCat3
Summary: Missing moments from the series. In no chronological order, from the Marauder Era to The Book series and after.
1. Prank

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Remus and Peter pulling a prank on James and Sirius:

* * *

"Did you bring them?" Peter asked, eyes shining bright with suppressed glee.

"Yes" he whispered, patting his pocket with triumph "but wipe that smirk off your face, or they're going to get suspicious."

The two boys waited impatiently for their friends to arrive on the platform, leaving Remus and Peter to continuously jitter with anticipation. Remus still couldn't believe it had taken them two years to think of this.

Finally the two black haired youth's made their appearance, and the other two thirteen year old's burst in front of them with unfounded glee as they practically forced their friends into a compartment they had already cut off for themselves.

"What's got you two in such a rush?" Sirius asked, unable to keep a smile off his own face.

"We brought you something" Remus grinned.

"Me and Remus have been sending each other owl's all summer about some of the things you lot have never experienced in the muggle world" Peter explained before the two could ask "and so we snuck a little something on the train for you guys to try."

Intrigued at once, James and Sirius suspected nothing as they were each handed a can.

"It's called Pop" Remus explained, letting a little of his exuberance start to creep through "it's like nothing you've had before."

The two boys made to open the tab's, but Peter quickly said, as if just suddenly remembering "wait, we didn't tell you. First you've got to shake them up a bit, make sure the flavor hasn't settled at the bottom."

The poor unsuspecting purebloods thought nothing of it as they shook up their cans very well, and didn't seem to notice their friends had backed all the way to the compartment door when they finally cracked open their drinks.

Twin brown fizzes shot out of the top, hitting their holders in the face, and didn't quite stop even as they were released to the ground. The carbonation got everywhere, shooting up to the ceiling, making sure to splash across the window's and dowsing their trunks as well.

By the time James had taken off his glasses and found something dry to clean them off on, he replaced them to find Remus and Peter, not having been saved so dripping as much as them, on the sticky floor, laughing. Sirius and James exchanged a proud smile before joining in.

* * *

The first of many, hope you enjoy.


	2. Battle

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

A/N I got some confused comments saying they didn't quite understand the last paragraph, so I tried to rewrite it. Let me know if it makes sense now.

This one is the one thing that drove me crazy on my first reading of the book. I kept expecting George to come barreling around the corner any second. Why on Earth were the twins separated at such a critical time? Upon my third or fourth rereading of this book I came to the conclusion that they must have been separated without consent. This is the end results of that.

* * *

The spells that were being thrown about, both friendly and non, had the twins ducking and skirting what was once a familiar hallway turned maze. They had to split from each others side for a second as a blue light went flying in between the pair, but were side by side again and ducking towards the next hallway, only to find their brother Percy duking it out with three hooded death eaters. Leaping to his side at once, now that the fight was evened out the cheating masks were taken down and quickly gagged and left to rot. Percy wiped a bit of sweat from his brow as he inspected his immediate younger brothers.

"You two do seem to have good timing, I'll give you that." He said, glasses flashing bright colors in reflection of the still raging battle. The twins exchanged amused looks at such praise from their newly reinstated brother, but all three quickly ducked again as the whole building shook, from what the three didn't particularly want to know.

"Come on" George said, walking towards an old secret passage that cut right to the dungeons "lets-" then the building shook again, harder this time. One twin passed through the fake wall, stumbling down a few stairs before catching himself.

He turned around and slammed back into what was now a blocked off entrance, with his two brothers still on the other side yelling out for him. Part of this wall must have collapsed, leaving him sealed off from them. It was a small miracle he could still hear their yelling for him, rather than crying out in pain.

"I'm alright" he called out "I'll meet you two down there. Don't try and blow this apart Fred, you'll get yourself killed."

He heard them agree to this plan, but couldn't make out the exact words. He would have bet if he still had his other ear he could, but hey what could you do. Finally he heard twin calls of ascent, something Percy surely would deny later when he mocked him for that, and he smiled to himself. Safe in knowing his two older brothers would look out for each other until he could take his place back at his twin's side.

* * *

Pretty sure I'm going to get some mean comments about this being so sad, but hey nothing about the twins is happy anymore now that they're no longer the twins! I've got about six more of these already written down, and they will be posted regularly. If you'd like to make suggestions for a scene, have at it.


	3. Houses

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

* * *

Seven years at Hogwarts and there are some questions that will never be answered by the general populace, even if a few select students knew and choose not to say anything about those answers.

Like for example, how one of Harry Potter's children had ended up in Slytherin house. Not that James or Lily had a problem with this. Both siblings had been sent to detention quite a bit for in fact the opposite, stopping bullying from other houses as they tried to pick on their brother and demand to know why he was such an insult to the family name.

Rose was a huge help in that, more then the brothers even. Being in Lily's year, she shared a few of the classes, even if she did end up in Ravenclaw house.

Smiling to himself, Albus glanced around the great hall, on the last night of term, knowing that this would be the last time he and his siblings would all go to school together. From his seat he glanced over at his older brother sitting at the Gryffindor table with his best friend and cousin Fred, the two made quite the team. None of the teachers would admit how much they were going to miss the troublesome duo.

A little ways down was Hugo, smiling and chatting with new first year Lysander. Moving to his table and sitting a few seats down with some of her friends was Molly, the first Weasley to be sorted out of Gryffindor in a long time.

The two brothers caught each other's eye from their separate tables, and shared a brief smile. This may be the last time their extended family would be going to school together, but by no means would it be the last time they would share a meal together. After all, your house may be like your family while at school, but outside of school, they all lived in the same house.

* * *

I looked it up and found out Neville and Hannah never had kids. Found that rather depressing.


	4. Sleeping

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

This one is more like a mirage of memories, but when the idea came to me I couldn't bring myself to change it once I was done;

* * *

Remus Lupin fell asleep on the Quidditch pitch in the bleachers. James, Sirius, and Peter woke him up, and they kept him propped up all the way to the dormitory bed.

Remus Lupin fell asleep in the middle of Potions class, Peter took notes for both of them all class and woke him up with a shoulder tap and a smile.

Remus Lupin fell asleep in the common room. Sirius found him curled up on the couch with a book on his chest. Sirius took the blankets off both their beds, and dropped them over the other boy. He picked up his book and put it on the coffee table.

Remus Lupin fell asleep in the library, on top of his homework. James, who was quite a bit taller than the other boy at this point, lifted him up and carried him to their dorm room as gently as possible, grinning at his friend and shaking his head. He put him in his bed, turned off the light, heading outside, now late for the Quidditch practice he was supposed to be coaching.

Remus Lupin falls asleep on the Hogwarts Express, like he always used to do. No one wakes him, no one covers him. He is woken by the cold rush of his worst memories and a face that looks to familiar and far too young.


	5. Thinking

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

* * *

"You know, that's the third time he's used his mother as an excuse." Sirius said, glancing up from his astronomy homework. Then again, it didn't take much for him to look up from any homework.

"Right?" James agreed, quickly shoving his own homework aside in favor of this conversation. He was cheating off of Sirius anyways. "I half expected him to use the detention excuse again. There's only so many times he can skip out on our homework groups and not realize we would notice."

"Lay off him guys" Peter sighed, flipping through pages of an astronomy book "if he doesn't want to tell us he shouldn't have to."

"Which is why we haven't demanded answers yet" James agreed. "We are not heartless, if he doesn't want to tell us we're not going to make him."

"We're just wondering when he'll stop lying about avoiding us." Sirius agreed. There was silence for a few moments as the three of them continued their studies, the next interruption coming when Sirius finished his homework with a flourish, then pushed it over to James, despite his protests. "Of shove it mate, I was sick of watching you crane your neck anyways. We've got quidditch practice in an hour and I don't need to hear you complaining about it."

James huffed, and an argument quickly broke out between the two, consisting of how much the other complained. Normally when this happened Remus would let it continue on until it reached the levels that it was disturbing others, and Peter would simply watch, silently wondering who would win this round, and secretly placing bets with Remus who would win. They had a tally going, and so far James was winning.

This time however, the argument was escalating without a reprimand, and without an audience. Peter had not looked up from the book, or indeed even flipped a page for quite some time.

Not until Madam Pince came around the corner herself and told the two to quite down did all three boys jump, and quickly stuff their homework aside.

Peter asked if he could borrow the book, and the friends left in good spirits. James and Sirius heading down to the pitch, while Peter was left in the hallway to think.

* * *

So that's all for this one, I most likely will post Peter telling his two friends, or just the three of them confronting Remus, maybe both? Not sure yet. Hope you're enjoying.


	6. Discovered

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

James, Sirius and Peter confront Remus about being a werewolf

* * *

At first Remus thought he was being paranoid when he woke up. Sunlight was cracking into the high windows of the hospital wing, and though he had no memory of the night before, he knew full well what had him feeling like utter crap. He didn't even need to pull his sheets aside to see the new scars his body would have, even under all of the bandages Madam Pomfrey would have administered. Despite the fact he knew that she would have tried to put a few spells on to lessen the pain, he wondered if it was the throbbing wounds that had woken him up.

Then he heard it.

There was a shuffling off to the side, very close to his bed. But glancing over, he saw nothing. His eyes narrowed, and he reached for his wand, only remembering when he hit empty pocket that Madam Pomfrey would still have it. She always took his wand away, along with his clothes, until she released him back to the rest of the school. Still, when he heard the shuffling noise again, his fear really was mounting, and he opened his mouth to call out for the matron when he heard a familiar voice whisper, "Don't rat us out now Remus, we've been doing good all night."

"James" he spluttered, loud enough that it would have called attention anyways.

"Jeez, not subtle one bit" Sirius said, poking his head up from behind a bed, wand in hand, and pointed at the hospital door "and you're usually the quiet one."

"Peter, please tell me you're done" James voice groaned from beside him, and Remus now knew why he wasn't visible.

"Yep" his last friend said, stepping out of the shadows from Madam Pomfrey's adjacent door that lead to her office.

His last friend pulled the cloak off of himself then, and Remus could only balk at the three of them. As Sirius and Peter came to step up beside James, he could only lay there, stunned at what he saw. His three friends looked exhausted, like he had seen them before when they stayed up all night for something, and they were all grinning down at him with a knowing look he had never thought he'd see pointed at him. "Wha-, how did-" he tried weakly, then winced at the way his voice betrayed him and began cracking at once. It was always awful trying to talk when he first woke up.

"Here" Peter offered him a glass of water "I figured this is why she left this by your bedside."

Remus took the glass silently, but it simply lay in his lap as he continued gaping at his friends. How was he going to explain this one! He had told them he needed to go to Saint Mungo's for the night because of an accident his father had, excuses flew through his mind, each more feeble than the last as to why he was lying in the Hospital Wing covered in bandages. Then he suddenly realized just how much they could see, and put down the glass on the nightstand, making a vain attempt to sit up and cover himself with more than the light sheet.

"Don't bother" Sirius snorted "we got a pretty good look at what you did to yourself when she was bandaging you up."

Remus started shaking then, edging away from them and looking towards both doors for a different reason. They had figured it out. He knew they would, there was no way it could last, but he had always thought his boisterous friends would simply stop talking to him one day. Or worse, tell the whole school and try having him kicked out. He had never expected them to, well he still didn't know why they were here!

"Would you quit looking like that" James sighed, flopping down on the edge of his bed and eyeing him with genuine concern "you are already paler then the ghosts here."

He swallowed around his dry throat, now wishing dearly he had taken that offered water, but instead asked "How did you-"

Sirius snorted and said "Oh please. We've known for months, did you really think we wouldn't notice? Especially as many times as you used the same excuse."

"Technically" Peter butted in "I figured it out, and you two laughed until I showed you the dates."

James gave both of his friends scathing looks as he snapped "you two aren't helping." Then he turned quickly back to Remus, the most beseeching look on his face Remus had seen on all of his three years knowing his friend "Remus, why didn't you tell us?"

He opened and closed his mouth several times, looking like a gaping fish, and unable to decide what he was more shocked about. They didn't seem repulsed by him, angry, or even upset. James question seemed to be more geared towards why Remus would keep it a secret at all...but this didn't add up to the other times wizards, especially purebloods like two of his friends, had found out about him.

Peter may have taken his silence as a still strained throat, true but not the reason for his continued stunned response, and handed him the water again.

This time he drank it all before finally saying "I thought, ah-" he trailed off weakly, not really wanting to admit all the awful things he had feared his friends might do, so instead distracted them with a question of his own, and what he had been planning to ask in the first place "How did you know I was here?"

"We followed you" James shrugged like that was the most obvious thing in the world "saw you meet up with Madam Pomfrey at the Whomping Willow. Then we waited outside until she came back and took you out of there, unconscious, and brought you up here."

"It was scary mate" Sirius shivered "I thought you looked dead. No wonder you're always so stinking pale."

"So we waited in here until you woke up" Peter finished "figured you wouldn't want an audience when you started yelling at us."

"Why would I yell at you?" He choked, then winced as his throat still scraped raw. This time he reached, ignoring his aching muscles and pulling on the new wounds, and got his own glass of water as Sirius said "That's what I said! Hell, we technically had the right to yell at you for keeping this secret after I just told you last week what my Mom did to me over the summer."

Remus drank his fill again, before putting the glass down gently. Then he looked around at all three of his friends and whispered "You're not-" he winced at what he was about to ask, and then trailed off unable to bring that to words. 'You're not going to tell?' Seemed preposterous now, with the way they were all looking at him with genuine concern.

James seemed to understand though, as he whispered "All we're going to do is look into this. I don't think I can stand seeing you like this ever again, let alone once a month" he trailed off sadly, his hazel eyes taking in one of his friends so beat up.

Remus was lost for words, but he clearly didn't need any. His friends understood.


	7. Running Away

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Sirius running away from home

* * *

As the green roar of the fireplace lit the Black kitchen, a chair slammed down onto all fours and a black haired youth startled to life as he looked around, and exclaimed "Remus!" with glee.

His friend stepped out of the fireplace, sweeping off soot and looking around with genuine curiosity as he responded "Sirius" nodding curtly. He seemed a bit on edge as he continued "Remind me, why couldn't we have both just gone to James' first?"

Sirius stretched as he got out of his chair, waltzing over to him and clapping him on the shoulder as he responded "Because, what's the point of both of us going over there, just for you to give it to me, just for me to come back here, and then go back over to the Potters!"

Remus still gave an apprehensive look about the dank kitchen as he said "yeah, I guess. Can we just get this over with?"

Sirius shrugged, making his way up the set of stairs, and only briefly pausing to sidestep a man, a man Remus noted who looked very much like his friend. Orion only gave a passing glance to his son, then looked quite surprised indeed as his eyes landed on me.

"Ah Sirius-" he called to his friends retreating back, blocking Remus' way to follow him.

"Yeah" he called, at first not looking over his shoulder, then he seemed to realize Remus was no longer behind him, so he turned about with a grim look to fully face his father. Being at the top of the stairs now, Sirius almost reached his eye level, though the cold looks didn't quite match. Sirius could be scary, but Remus was positive Sirius could never hold the dark look that passed through the elder Black's face just then.

Orion asked in a cold voice "Who's this?"

Sirius' eyes passed from his own to his father's and then back again before responding back in the same tone "He's a friend. He'll be gone in a second, I just need him to do me a favor first. Come on" he beckoned to me, and when I still hesitated, he huffed and stomped back down the stairs, reaching around his father he grabbed hold of my arm and gave me a firm tug, and his father did finally move out of the way.

I climbed the stairs to the next floor, perhaps a little closer to my friend's side then was necessary now. As we reached a second landing, I whispered in his ear "Guess now I know why I've never been over here before. Your parents aren't exactly friendly."

Sirius snorted in disgust, only briefly glancing behind him as he said back "You only know the half of it. Just do me a favor and don't say your surname while you're here. We shouldn't be here long enough for it to be an issue, but still."

By this time he had climbed up to a pristine door, with a plaque adorning it declaring it as SIRIUS.

"You get lost on the way to your own room much?" I asked weakly, Sirius turned his head slightly so I could see his smile at the attempt at humor, then they entered the room.

Whereas the rest of the house was rather dark, and everything had either a green or black hue to it, Sirius seemed to have gone out of his way to do the opposite. Gryffindor banners were hung about, along with a few muggle pictures of half naked women. Everything was highly polished, but clearly not very well taken care of. Most of his school supplies was tossed about the room, and his owl had its own corner where it clearly made itself comfortable if the pile of droppings and dead animals meant anything.

I dearly wanted to ask if that was any kind of sanitary, but Sirius was already talking, holding out his hand towards me and saying "Well, come on man, I want to get out of here before that woman notices her surprise. Boy Kreacher's going to love telling her about my room when he cleans this crap up tonight. You did say you brought it right?"

Remus sighed as he dug in his pocket until he pulled out the photo he had made over the summer. Sirius grinned as he saw the four of them, leaning against each other and laughing at some old joke. He gave a quick glance about the room, decided on the perfect spot, then waltzed over and permanently stuck that memory to his horrid family's walls forever. Then the two of them made to leave the room.

They only made it to the second landing when Walburga Black called from the top of the stairs "Sirius! Where are you going? You know you're supposed to tell us if ever you have a-"

"Yeah, yeah" he called back without looking again "we're leaving now, so I didn't see the point."

Remus glanced back nervously, watching the woman's face turn dark in an instant as she spat "Don't talk to me like that boy. Turn and face me."

Sirius wasn't listening, he was already heading towards the next flight of stairs. Remus however, was hesitating, hoping it would encourage his friend to talk and at least keep things civilized until they made it out of here. This however, was a mistake, as Walburga then turned her attention onto him, scrutinized him for a moment, then began "Why do I know you? Weren't you in the paper a few years back?"

Sirius froze, and I dearly wished all of a sudden that he was just overreacting when his hand crept into his pocket, where he kept his wand. "Come on, let's get out of here" he said more quietly this time, glancing around to look at me. I felt a spike of fear all of a sudden at the deadly look that flashed across his eyes. Stumbling forward, I tried my hardest to block out the words echoing from above "I do know you! You're the boy of Lyall Lupin! You're a-"

Sirius turned on the spot, rage flashing across his face as he snapped "Shut up! Don't even finish that you vile woman! We're leaving now."

Sirius had turned to head back towards the stairs again, so he might not have seen the bright flash of light that emanated from above. He may have heard the spell his mother blasted at the pair of them, but Remus was already reacting, lunging forward and pushing the two of them out of the way. They lost their balance, and finally made their way to the bottom again, crashing along the way.

Sirius groaned beneath him, his eyes glazed over, even as Remus called his name and scrambled to his feet, trying to lift him up. Then he saw that his robes were singed, the spell must have hit him. He saw red then, turning on the spot he began pulling his own wand in defense, but then a fist closed around his arm, and he was sucked away.

They landed by stumbling forward, Remus glancing over in surprise and beginning "Sirius, are you-" but unable to even finish the question as his friend collapsed to the ground, unconscious. A quick glance showed blood splattered on his hip, where a great chunk was missing. In his haste to get them out of there, Sirius had splinched himself.

He didn't take note of his surroundings, didn't even notice his own hands shaking as he really did dig out his wand and cried a few healing charms that came to mind. It stopped the blood anyways, leaving a scabbing wound in its place.

He then quickly did an incantation he had only just learned over the summer. He had been planning on showing it to his friends that night, and he only hoped they would understand what it was now.

Once his wolf Patronus had soared off in two directions did he finally look around properly. Sirius had apparated them to some forest. It wasn't the Forbidden Forest, of that he was sure, and he grimaced as he realized he probably should have put that in his message as well. Then he heard a familiar voice say from Sirius' pocket, and the voice was saying their names. Remus sighed with relief as he dug out the Two Way Mirror.

* * *

I know when Sirius said he 'ran' away from home, most people probably pictured a big argument between his family, and much like with Harry and the Dursley's, simply lost his temper one night but Sirius decided to never come back. Personally I always pictured something more along these lines; mostly for the small little tidbit that Kreacher knew Remus was a werewolf in the sixth book, when I doubt anyone in the Order goes parading around about this fact, so I wondered if he knew about it before hand. Along with Walburga for that matter, her portrait knew what Remus was. Hope you enjoyed, and I am planning a bit of a sequel to this particular one-shot.


	8. Long Walk

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

James and Peter arriving after Remus' Patronus;

* * *

"I'm going to kill her. I swear to Merlin, I'm going to kill her."

James Potter had been muttering this long before I had woken up, finding myself surrounded by my three friends. I hurt all over, but at least I remembered exactly why. My mother had been about to insult my friend! I may not have reacted all that well, and the woman had shot a curse at me!

I distinctly felt a tearing in my upper arm, then something tackled me hard. That must have been Remus, because after that tumble down the stairs, he was leaning over me with concern. When he had turned away, prepared to shoot his own curse back at her, I made a split second decision.

She deserved whatever Remus had been about to send at her, but I had seen something he might not have, my father coming up the stairs. No way could even the two of us take them both on, this had already escalated far beyond my worse nightmare, so I had apparated the pair of us to the surrounding forest of the Potter manor.

I clearly hadn't done a very good job of it, since I'd passed out after landing, and awoken to find I'd splinched myself, and we had almost an hours worth of walking to find the trail. No one suggested we just apparate to the actual house, not wanting to risk splinching all over again, when my leg was still bleeding from the last chunk taken out of me.

Remus had been the one to explain what had happened, so there was mostly silence as we trekked up to the mansion. The other two were silent, but James had been muttering from the moment I'd regained conciseness. Leaning heavily on him, it wasn't hard to make out his exact words.

"Now Prongs" I murmured in his ear "if you go murdering her, what am I going to complain about in my spare time?"

"You'll think of something" he whispered right back "you always do. Now stop talking, you look like you're about to pass out again." While his facial features didn't exactly relax, my words of reassurance clearly hadn't done their job, it did prevent him from becoming a murder that day.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter fawned over me for the rest of the summer, and I kind of moved in with them for the rest of that summer; only making brief contact with one person who shared my name. Regulus agreed to a meet so I could get my stuff back, but after that day I swore I'd never look back.

* * *

I just really wanted to see a pissed off James. I don't know why it amuses me so much to piss off my favorite characters. This is kind of a useless insert that takes place between Running Away and Last Visit.


	9. Last Visit

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Sequel to Running Away

Regulus and Sirius meeting for the last time;

* * *

They met at the Leaky Cauldron. It was public enough that nothing too bad could happen, but still quite and private enough they shouldn't be disturbed. Regulus had made it first, so chose to take a seat as close to the staircase as possible. When they entered, they must not have seen him right away. Sirius appeared first, his best friend since their first train ride tailing him, to Sirius' annoyance. Even as they walked into the pub they were still arguing "-don't need to be here. I can handle my own brother!"

"He might have brought his parents" James argued back.

"No, he wouldn't" Sirius snapped right back "Why would he agree to bring my stuff to me if he was just going to do that?"

"To trick you" he said in a 'duh' like voice. They were making their way to the bar, so Regulus decided to cut off their argument by standing up and making himself a bit more visible. It worked, the moment he had twitched to move in his corner, the duo had gone for their wands, eyes seeking what had disturbed the previous silence. It was the perfect time in the day for this meeting. Late enough that no one had come around yet for their normal drinking, but early enough no one would come around yet to head up to a bed above.

The friends exchanged a look, Sirius perhaps a little more superior than was necessary, before they made their way over. Sirius didn't seem to be in a chatty mood, since the moment he saw his stuff he made as if to pick it up and simply leave. Regulus halted him by saying "Mom blasted you off the wall that night."

Sirius went stiff for a small moment, but then shrugged as he straightened up; his trunk clasped in one hand, a birdcage with his owl in the other. James bent down and scooped up Sirius' broom as well. Sirius then grinned as he said "Well you can't be too surprised. We both saw this moment coming for ages. Good of you to bring me my stuff though, I do appreciate that Reg. Hope they didn't give you too much grief about it."

A small splotch of red began rising in his cheeks, causing his brother to give him a very surprised look as he continued "You didn't tell them?"

After a small bit of hesitation, Sirius released a bark like laughter, his eyes now shining with mirth as he newly appraised the boy before him. "Look at you, the first thing you've ever done against your parent's wishes, and it's to help me. I'm flattered."

"Our" he whispered. Sirius paused, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"There still our parent's Siri" He explained in the same meek voice.

Sirius scoffed then, any traces of amusement gone "Please, she tried to curse me. You just said she blasted me from the wall, like she swears she's going to do to Uncle Alphard. Doesn't that tell you that I've been disowned?"

Regulus lost any color in his face, looking at his brother beseechingly he said "She wasn't aiming at you Sirius. Please, just come back and-"

"Don't" James finally cut in. He had tried to be silent thus far, letting his friend deal with his own brother, but at the small pain he had seen flicker across his friend's face he couldn't stand it anymore. "She might not have been aiming at him, but she was aiming at a friend. Someone who hadn't done a damn thing to her. If you really believed Sirius could just come back, you wouldn't have brought his stuff."

He opened then closed his mouth, then slumped back in his seat in defeat. Sirius nodded, then made to turn away, before briefly hesitating and then he turned back to his brother for the last time saying "You could leave to you know. We could get a place here, get some job's for the rest of the summer until school. We could make it Reg."

The two brother's looked a lot alike, one of the main differences being that Regulus had his mother's eyes. In that moment though, Jame saw Sirius in them. They shone for a moment with a familiar light, adventure and mischief wanted to take hold of this boy who wasn't much younger than the pair of them. It was gone as quickly as it had come though, and he shook his head furiously from side to side, saying "No. I'm not going to leave them. They said they've got plans for me."

Sirius' face twisted with pain as he whispered "Be it your own head then."

He turned away, and James followed him. Sirius didn't look back, but I did. So I saw the regret on the kid's face. I said nothing though, as the two of us apparated to my place.


	10. Deathday Party

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

How Lily and James got together;

* * *

His hands were surprisingly warm on my hips as we continued circling carefully around the dance floor, taking care not to pass through any of the more common guests.

If last year someone had told me that I would be at a deathday party, she would have squealed with joy. Living people were never invited to these types of things, they were ghostly trades after all, and ghosts didn't give up their secrets lightly.

If last year that same someone had told her she would be at that party with one James Potter, his arms circled tight around her as they danced together at that same deathday party, she would have kindly escorted them to Madam Pomfrey to get there head checked, then walked away laughing.

Yet, seventh year had arrived, along with a new Head Boy, and a new boy. Something had happened to James over the summer, something that his friends all knew about, but the rest of the school wasn't privy to. Whatever it was made him a changed man. He no longer strutted about the school corridors, but merely walked them with the same pace as any normal student would have.

He no longer carried around a stupid Quidditch ball with him, to show off and impress his peers; but instead he selected a little third-year boy. One who had been bullied by his peers for his poor performance at tryouts. James began training him for a position on the team. Showing more kindness than she would have believed possible.

James no longer dogged her in the corridors, demanding she needed to go on one date with him. In fact he hardly acknowledged her presence at all, something she found she almost missed.

Oh he was still an arse. Lily still caught him scurrying the corridors when something mischievous happened, there were some things those four boys would never get out of there system, and pulling pranks on Slytherin's was one of them.

Then he did something. The one thing she never would have believed possible. An act that she remembered as Halloween came around, and Sir Nicholas De Mimsy Porpington invited her to his annual deathday party for her kind words in listening to his plight against not being able to join some ghostly club. He told her she could bring a guest. Her feet then took her about the castle, right up to James Potter as he stood in the corridor talking to his friend Peter, and then she asked him if he would like to go with her.

Peter Pettigrew then promptly asked what had possessed her, while James slugged him and said yes before she even had a chance to answer. Turns out she never would answer him either, since after their first date, she had then agreed to go on another with him on their next Hogsmeade visit. Then another and well, one thing led to another...

Whether James told his friends never to ask, or they had simply let the matter slide, none of them knew what had driven Lily Potter into her last name, that fateful day. Perhaps James himself didn't know, and simply didn't care what had given him his golden chance.

Lily certainly wasn't ever going to tell him, in fear it would simply bring back all of those harsh feelings from her fifth year. She had witnessed James Potter, telling off his best friend Sirius Black for trying to curse Severus Snape.

She never knew the motive behind this scene. Never asked what had possessed him to defend a man he clearly still hated, since even as they walked past her hiding place behind the tapestry, the pair of them continued muttering about 'the greasy prat'; but he had done it. He had shown just a glimmer of restraint, that finally convinced her James wasn't just some arrogant bullying toerag. He might even have the potential to be a good person.

* * *

I realized I never mentioned it during this, so what happened over the summer was the three-part bit where Sirius ran away from home. I think seeing his friend being at such a low would have matured James a bit, and would have made him cautious about throwing curses around, even at someone he hated. Just thought I'd clarify that, hope you guys are still enjoying


	11. Wicked

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Ron telling Fred and George about Harry, during the summer.

* * *

There was a knock on their door. Now since when did that happen? The two exchanged quizzical looks before Fred got up to answer, blocking his only younger brothers view of the room inside. "Can we help you?"

George didn't even look up at first, assuming it was just Ron asking if they'd seen Scabbers again or something, but when they didn't immediately receive an answer he looked up and around in surprise.

Not really being able to see through his twin, he couldn't see what Fred was staring at. Which was Ron, fidgeting and glancing about the stairway as if hoping someone would come and stop him from asking what he was about to ask.

When no one did and the silence dragged on Fred prompted "Well, you going to gawk at me all day or get on with it?"

By this point both twins felt rather concerned and annoyed, it wasn't like Ron to not just boast his opinion of what he felt about them. Sure it was usually under his breath, but when he came face to face with his problem, sometimes shouting was known to happen. Never this awkward silence.

"Can I come in?" finally busted out of his mouth after a solid minute of silence, which had given George more than enough time to stow away their latest project and for Fred to step aside.

Ron only took three steps into the room at first, his eyes surveying it properly before landing on his mischief making brothers. "If I tell you something, you have to swear not to tell Mum or Dad. Especially Mum."

Twin smirks cracked over their faces, was that all that was bothering him. The twins were many things, but never rats. That was Percy's job. "But of course not" George said, leaning casually back against the wall "why would we go and do a thing like that?"

"I'm serious" Ron said, gaining back his usual personality of being a prat. Granted, not as bad as Percy, but he was getting there with age.

"I'm sure you are" Fred sighed rolling his eyes "now what do you want? We are busy?"

Ron snorted, letting his eyes rove around the seemingly empty room, except for the twin beds on the wall. The way we liked keeping it, or Mum would have our head the second she came in to clean. Couldn't have her finding our stash.

Before either of us could prompt him again, because really he was beginning to drag this on into near boring levels, Ron burst into speech about how he'd been writing to his friend, The Harry Potter, all summer and not getting a reply. He'd written similarly to another friend of his, a lesser known girl named Hermione, and he'd been getting responses from her, but not Harry.

Ron had tried asking Percy if he could borrow Hermes, but Percy was having none of it, and he finished with a lame "do you got any other ideas of how I could talk to him? I don't know, it just seems a bit odd he hasn't written or anything, plus there's that accidental magic that happened on his birthday that he never answered me about when I asked and..."

There he trailed off, giving the two of them beseeching looks. The twins gave each other a look, and came to two conclusions at once.

Ron was worried about something, maybe he hadn't said it straight out but it was there.

Ron didn't want them to go to the parents because he knew whatever answer he got, be it that he was being paranoid or that they would handle it and not tell Ron anything.

"Know where he lives?" Fred finally asked him.

"Uh yeah" Ron said, looking surprised the twins had agreed to help him so easily. "Asked him about it once at school, you know what it was like living surrounded by a bunch of Muggles, and he told me the address. Then he went on to explain that all the houses looked a lot the same, which is why they number them and stuff." He paused for a moment and gave them uneasy looks. "Why? You going to help?"

"Of course we are" George said, feigning hurt "how could we not after such a thrilling tale?"

Honestly the twins had a few chats with Harry at school, unavoidable since he hung out with their brother and conversation with him was also, sadly, unavoidable. He seemed like a nice enough bloke. Even if that weren't the case, how could they pass up the opportunity to test something that they had been wanting to try anyways? Now they just had the excuse to do it.

"How you going to do that?" He asked, eyes shifting from one to the other "You two got an owl stashed up in here?"

The twins laughed at such naivety. "Just leave it to us Ron" Fred told him escorting him back towards the door.

"And meet us down at Dad's shed after dinner" George told him as Ron finally left the room.

Once the door was shut the two exchanged one more look before cracking into evil grins. This was going to be wicked.

* * *

I always wondered what was going through Ron's head, and why he went to the twins for help instead of his parents. I came to the conclusion he was worried about being told he was paranoid, after his first year can you blame him, and didn't want to get in trouble for going to the twins for help. Which is what he decided to do because he knew that they might be able to help. So yeah, hope you enjoyed.


	12. Acting Odd

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

* * *

James, Sirius, and Peter met up on the platform, found themselves a private carriage, and had already loaded their stuff before beginning to wonder where their friend was. Remus was usually one of the first one's here, so it was rather odd that this year he would be the last. As the clock drew nearer to departure time, they began to truly feel worried, but with five minutes to spare they finally spotted him.

He was trudging towards them, his trunk dragging behind him in one hand, and he was clutching something in the other very tightly. They all felt an instant of relief, until they got a good look at his face. He seemed paler than usual, which was saying something since Remus always looked a little sickly. His hand that wasn't clutching his trunk was shaking, and when he finally made it over to them, he said in a high forced jaunty voice "Morning. Ready to get then?" and he wouldn't look any of them in the eye.

All three of them had to help him with his trunk, since he wouldn't release his other hand from a fist the entire time. Only when they had safely stowed the luggage away did they drag him into their compartment and demand to know what was wrong with him.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. As the whistle blew outside, they all jerked slightly, and Remus nearly tumbled to the ground, his knee's were shaking so badly. Instead of trying to catch himself, he landed hard in one of the seats, both hands now clutching whatever was in his fist.

After gaining himself back, James was the first to recover, and folded his arms across his chest, giving his friend a stern look and saying "Remus, you're starting to scare us. What has gotten into you?"

He gave them all a scared, pleading look, as if fearing at any moment they were all going to start shouting at him. In answer though, he slowly extended his hand to them, and turned it palm up so they could see the Prefect badge gleaming.

There was silence for so long that the station had long been out of sight before Sirius cracked up laughing. Then they all were, Remus finally joining in when he realized his friends weren't going to kick him out for this. His irrational fear that they wouldn't want him around anymore because he was now the kid that the Marauders tried to avoid.

Instead they all spent a rousing time trying to figure out what on earth could have motivated this catastrophe!

They spent the entire train ride as they always did, together.


	13. Train Ride

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Hermione's second year train ride.

* * *

She had walked up and down the train three full times, and she still couldn't find them! She was beginning to feel really worried, having seen both the twins and Ginny get on late, she wondered if her boys hadn't made the train at all? On her fourth pass through, she poked her head into a compartment where Ginny and another first year with dirty blonde hair were sitting, and asked "Hello, you're Ron's sister right?"

They had never been properly introduced of course, but the Weasley hair was distinguishable enough, as well as Ron having mentioned his sister starting this year. Hermione only knew her name through passing. The girl did look up and around though, having been writing in a black diary sitting in her lap, but upon seeing her she smiled shyly and said "Yes. Are you Hermione?"

Hermione smiled, pleased Ron had obviously mentioned her enough his younger sister had recognized her, and she nodded and said "Yes. Have you seen Ron, or Harry? I can't find them on the train?"

Ginny looked puzzled, but shook her head and said "No. Mum told them to come onto the platform after the two of us. I never saw them get on, but Mom said not to worry about it, they probably just got their own compartment."

Hermione nodded, excused herself and began making her way down the train again. She stopped when she found the twins in another compartment with their friend Lee, and a few other Gryffindor boys in their fourth year. However, their conversation went much the same way. After another run about on the train, she finally admitted she must be missing them in the crowd, something she doubted but had no other explanation for. They might have even been wandering the train looking for her, and they had simply been missing each other, something she really doubted. With no other explanation though, she made her way back to Ginny's compartment, and sat down to talk to those two girls the rest of the ride.

Harry and Ron never came for her though, and she didn't start hearing the rumors until they were getting out of the carriages at school.


	14. The Map

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

The making of the Marauder's Map

* * *

With his back to the portrait hole, Remus hadn't realized there was anyone behind him until Sirius said loudly in his ear "Knight to H3."

He started, nearly toppling the board over, and causing Peter to snicker.

Rubbing his ear, and alternatively glaring from both Peter to Sirius, he asked Peter "why didn't you tell me they were behind me?"

"You told me to be quite so you could concentrate" he responded, the gleam of mischief prevalent.

Remus rolled his eyes as he made his move, ignoring James and Sirius as they sunk into nearby chairs, and trying very hard to ignore their comments.

"-told you they were up here!"

James responded back "Well, they said they were going to be in the library, why are they even up here?"

Sirius slumped back in his chair as he muttered "I get really sick of wandering around the whole castle just to find you two. Why don't you just come with us when we go to the kitchens?"

"Or at least stay where you say you're going to be" James agreed, digging an eclair out of his pocket, and beginning to eat it.

Peter had just made his countermove, and looked up at the two with surprise saying "Now there's an idea."

"What" Sirius asked, taking his wand out of his pocket and beginning to twirl it around between his fingers in boredom.

"I get sick of wandering around to find you two as well. Why shouldn't we come up with something to help us find one another."

Remus gave his own move back, before responding without looking up "Because you'd need to make a bloody map of the whole school, which that alone could take days. The charms that would make what you're saying possible are- come on you bloody Castle, he's just a pawn!" He cut himself off to egg on his piece.

James and Sirius sat up straighter, not looking so bored anymore.

Glancing about the deserted common room, they leaned in and James whispered "Wait, finish what you were saying Remus."

He turned confused eyes to his friend, missing the next move Peter gave as he responded "What?"

"Map of the school?" Sirius prompted "Advanced charms?"

Remus scoffed as he turned back to the game, distracted by what Peter had just done. They remained impatiently quite until Remus said "Check" before going back to the actual conversation and saying "It was a joke you two. There's not an actual map of the castle. Sure I can think of a few spells that could track people in the school, but there's no way to single out four people. It's a general spell, mapping where everyone in that location would be."

Then he broke off again in frustration as Peter took out his other Bishop.

He missed a bit of the next part, James and Sirius had continued on without him as he made his next move, saying "Check" again at the end.

"That's brilliant" Sirius breathed in his ear again. Remus jerked back, giving his friends uneasy looks at what he saw on their faces. "What is?"

"Were you not listening?" James asked in disbelief

"If you two haven't noticed, I'm a bit busy at the mome-"

"Checkmate!" Peter said with glee, and Remus looked down at the board in disbelief as Peter's Queen took his crown. Cursing and leaning back in his seat he gripped "Now see what you made me do!"

"You guys should come distract him more often" Peter said with glee, "another match?" He asked, already setting up his pieces again.

"Forget about that you two" James said now practically bouncing in his seat "Don't you realize what we've just stumbled across?"

"What?" Remus and Peter asked together.

"A Marauder's Map" James and Sirius answered.


	15. Appearances

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

I am not sorry I am on a Marauder's Kick. I promise I do have some prompts involving more missing moments during the book series, plus like two more for the after the book scenes, but for now this is what's coming out. This particular idea came from reading the first few paragraphs from Chamber of Secrets; Deathday Party

* * *

"No, I don't want-" his protests fell on deaf ears as James continued to drag his friend around.

"Not listening" James huffed "you're paler than some of the ghosts around here Moony, so you're getting some."

"But I'm not sick" I protested, tugging weakly, and uselessly it seemed, on the arm he still wouldn't let go of.

"I know that, but the general populace doesn't" he explained, in surprisingly stern tones. I stopped protesting then, but he didn't release my arm, probably thinking this was just a new trick to avoid this. "So in order to keep up appearances, you're taking it!"

When they finally got to their destination, it took almost an hour to convince Madam Pomfrey of the same things he had talked Remus into doing. Finally she agreed, though still uneasy. Remus couldn't blame her, since he himself wasn't even sure if this would work.

Still he took a bit of the Pepperup Potion, and the side effects were the same for him as every other student. He spent most of the next month with steam coming out of his ears, for the time putting a few more students at ease about why Remus Lupin always looked so sickly.


	16. Serious

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

I couldn't resist a Sirius Pun, and I regret nothing!;

* * *

"Quick, James I need the cloak now, and I'll explain later" Sirius said, skidding to halt and only just missing crashing into him.

"Uh, it's in my trunk" he began, noting how pale Sirius looked, the way his eyes kept darting behind him.

"Yeah, I checked in there, it's not. You don't have it on you?"

James began shaking his head, opening his mouth to say no, when Sirius darted off without another word.

Blinking after his best friend, he looked back the way Sirius had come in curiosity, but saw nothing out of the ordinary, so he instead began jogging after him. He turned a corner, saw Sirius jump right into one of the paintings on the wall that was really just a fake stretch of wall. He made to follow him when from behind McGonagall called "Potter."

He turned on the spot, an innocent smile already plastered on his face as he said "Yes Professor?"

Her eyes narrowed instantly. Clearly six years of that expression had worn off after the first two weeks, but it wasn't going to stop him from trying it anyways. Her nose flared briefly as she stated "Potter, I have a classroom that's been completely destroyed, the Christmas decorations on that floor were ruined, and a fifth year boy will have to be spending the night in the Hospital Wing. I want to know where you were during your off period."

James face didn't change one jot as he responded "That's definitely a Sirius problem, Professor, but I had nothing to do with it." Then he turned around and went to go find his best mate for the details.


	17. Fireplace Chat

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Takes place directly after Remus and Sirius talked to Harry in the fireplace;

* * *

Harry's suddenly panicked face retracted out of the fire, causing the pair of us to exchange almost amused looks as I asked "He didn't happen to mention where in the castle he was talking to us from?"

"No" Remus responded, a very old smirk appearing on his face "I don't believe he did. I can't imagine Harry would do that without consent though." His tone implied the exact opposite, causing a bark-like laughter to erupt from me.

It had been too long since Remus and I had exchanged anything resembling a pleasant conversation like this; clearly the two of us and Harry needed to fix that this summer.

I got to my feet and began stretching, making my way back towards the stairs at once, and wiping the smile from my friends face just as fast. "Back to your sulking then."

I froze and scowled down at him, as he made his way in much more normal means to his own feet. "What does that mean?"

"Exactly what I said" he huffed "you hardly ever leave that room, are you silently trying to tell me Buckbeak's replaced me?"

"That's not true and you know it" I muttered, turning shamefaced away. Truth be told, he was right, I had been avoiding him and everyone who walked in and out of this house. Taking my own outrage at being cooped up in this pitiful place on anyone who dared come up there. Sucking in a deep breath, and determined not to completely lose the good mood seeing Harry again had given me, I turned back around and planted one of the friendliest looks I'd had on my face in ages and said "Plus, you know I can't do anything silently."

A small smile reappeared on his face at once, making me feel even more guilty than before. I was beyond lucky Remus had been able to get away from those nasty werewolf's he'd been living with just to come over and see me, and here I had been treating him like a leper. Rerouting my path and making a beeline for the kitchen table instead, I scooped up the paper and gave a derisive snort at the front page, but it gave me reason to start a long overdue conversation with my old friend.

* * *

Still a Marauders based one, I know, but at least this one followed the original idea of this story. Hope you guys are enjoying.


	18. Sneaky

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Snape getting the better of a Marauder;

* * *

"Great job today Black" Vosper said as he hung up his Quidditch uniform, readjusted his Captain's badge, and then walked out without glancing behind him, therefore missing Sirius flipping him off. He turned to his best friend in fury and demanded "How many times do I have to tell him I hate being called that!"

James couldn't help but smile slightly at his friends outrage, but verbally said "You know he just does it to annoy you."

"Well I like your last name. Black is my favorite color after all."

James and Sirius turned around, their eyes landing on fellow teammate, Veronica Fletch. They then realized they were the only three left in the locker room, and James came to the sudden memory of these two flirting all night, despite her being a sixth year and the two of them fourth years.

James cleared his throat loudly, and noted that he was ignored for it, so he said "Yes well, I'll just be going then. Later Sirius."

"Yeah" he called absently, taking a step closer to the girl without glancing over at his best friend as he left.

James snorted when he was out of earshot, making his way over to the Broom Shed and putting away his broom, already deciding the next time he saw Sirius, he would have a new Hound Dog joke lined up and waiting.

He made his way back to the common room, finding only his two good friends, and three other students in there. He hadn't realized practice had run so late. He made his way upstairs to grab his school bag, and only when he sat down at their usual table, did Peter glance up at him and say softly "''Ello" did James look over at Remus and frowned.

It had been a full moon last night, and his friend was still worn out from the ordeal. Remus was just lucky Madam Pomfrey had released him from the hospital wing a day earlier then she normally did, but since Easter Holidays were starting tomorrow and Moony always liked finishing his homework before the holidays, Remus had won the argument; promising he would rest during the break. Now it seemed that extra day of rest would have done him some good, rather then snoozing on his potion's book.

"How long's he been out?" He asked quietly, not wanting to wake him.

"Almost as soon as we sat down after dinner" Peter whispered back, "I was going to wake him up right before you came in."

"Don't" James sighed. He knew Remus would get mad later, but he was thinking about later as well. His friend needed sleep more then anything right now "I'll tell him I told you not to wake him up, he can yell at me later."

"Better you than me" Peter muttered, shuffling his own papers around and getting back to his work. James had just dug out his own stack of homework when the door opened behind him. At first he didn't think anything of it, but then one of the two girl's voices caught his attention "-believe that jerk blew me off."

James whipped his head around, seeing Veronica come in with one of her friends, and looking very flustered. She was making her way towards the fire place as she continued "I was only going to go out with him for a few weeks, he did help us a lot in the last game after all, but to not even show up!"

"You did only give him a few minutes, maybe he got caught up with something" her friend offered.

Veronica snorted, pausing by the fireplace and warming her hands, she retorted "Please, all of his friends are already up here. He was just going to put his broom up, then he said he was going to meet me in the trophy room." Deciding she was warmed up enough, she stepped away from the fireplace and they both made their way to the girl's staircase.

She had just put her foot on the first stair when James finally broke out of his shock, and stood up to yell "What's going on?"

He managed to startle all of the other occupants in the room, even startling Remus into snorting and jerking up with a hand mark pressed against his face. James didn't notice though, his eyes fixed on the girl. She looked rather annoyed at him, stating "Oh, you heard me. Probably sat around laughing with him about it before I even asked." Then she sniffed and really did go up the stairs. James watched her go, wanting to run after her, but already having made that mistake once last year, and knowing it would do no good.

He was probably overreacting. Then why did he feel like a fist was twisting away at his innards?

HPHPHP

Sirius had agreed to meet in the trophy room in five minutes, and so he hurried out to the broom shed with both of their brooms. He had been trying to be swav, offering to put her broom away for her, giving her time to go up there and 'freshen up' like she had said. He was in a hurry, and in his rush he made no notice to the extra shadow that was hiding behind the broom shed.

Wrenching open the door, he stuffed their brooms in there, and made to close it when there was a flash of white light, his arms and legs snapped together, and he toppled backwards. He could see the bright twinkling stars above now, he and Veronica had flirted longer then he thought if it was fully dark out, and he also got a full view of Severus Snape leaning over him, smirking.

"Well, well, well, look what I've got" he began, giving Sirius a nasty smirk. "Here I was expecting to run into a friend, and instead I manage to catch an arse off guard."

He tried to say something, but his face was frozen in that same stupid smile he'd had plastered on his face. Snape's smile widened, and Sirius was horrified when he bent down and began dragging him back around, behind the broom shed. Out of sight to anyone, unless you walked back around there. There was a tightening in his chest now as Snape whispered "don't worry Black, I'm sure those jokes about man-eating spiders in the forest aren't real. Someone is sure to find you back here...eventually."

He walked off, though Sirius couldn't watch him, he was sure he faded into the falling blackness with ease. At first he was just annoyed that slimeball had gotten the drop on him. Then, as hours continued to creep by, fear really did begin coming up. He wasn't actually afraid of the man eating spiders, they lived too deep into the forest to be a worry all the way over here. What he was afraid of was not being found all night. His friends had most likely gone to bed, James would have told them about his supposed hook up. Veronica would assume he had just decided not to come, a preposterous idea according to him but no one could hear that now!

The outside of his body may have been frozen solid, but he could still feel. Like his muscles beginning to strain from being in one position too long, his mouth was getting really dry from being unable to swallow. The only reason he hadn't died from oxygen intake was the ability to still breath through his frozen nose, though it was strained, not being able to move his chest properly and all.

Time kept dragging on, and he began longingly wishing he could simply fall asleep. He knew for a fact when his friends woke up and realized he wasn't in the dormitory, they would head down to first breakfast, then the kitchen. Not seeing him in either of those places, they would logically seek out his would be date that night, find out he'd never met up with her, then come out here to the Quidditch Pitch looking for him.

His mind floundered at that point. Even then, they might not find him though. Unless you walked directly behind the broom shed, which none of them had an actual reason to do, they could walk right past him and they'd never know. Hell, he might just be stuck out here forever! What happened to a person who was stuck in the Full Body bind curse forever? His mind was exaggerating of course, but he really didn't know how long it took this particular curse to wear off.

The moon, while covered in clouds, was high in the sky before he finally did hear noise. He tried desperately to do something, anything, to draw attention to himself. Then he doubled those efforts as he heard James calling his name.

He was being very, obviously, loud. Any other time he would have laughed at his friend for being the opposite of subtle, but now all he wanted was to yell right back. As the shouting continued to grow fainter, he became more desperate. Struggling with all of his might, he tried furiously to lash out someway, anyway! Then his foot moved. It was the smallest twitch of motion, but it gave him immense glee as he realized this. Clearly, the spell was starting to wear off. He'd be more pissed off later about exactly how long he must have been lying there for this to occur.

He lost track of the shouting for a few moments as he concentrated more than he ever had in his life on twisting first his foot, then the one leg back and forth, until finally he had enough range in motion to kick the broom shed.

In his mind's excitement, he hadn't taken note that James voice had been joined by two others, but now when all three stopped at once he did notice.

He did it again, harder this time, and now he could make out all three of his friends distinctive voices headed towards him. He kicked out again, and then there was a bright flash of light flaring across his face. Any other time Sirius might have either laughed, or been highly concerned at the look on James face. Now all he could really feel was relief.

After he had been released from his binds, and had mutinously told them what had happened, James was all up for heading down to the Slytherin common room right now and getting back at that slime ball!

Remus however, pointed out the lack of logic in forcing their way into that particular dormitory at this time of night. They would have to get their revenge back some other time.

* * *

Just a friendly reminder that Snape was willing to play just as dirty as the Marauders, if a bit more sneaky in catching them one at a time. Longest one yet, but I didn't really want to break it off when it switched from James to Sirius, since James part was all set up.


	19. Letter

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Hermione getting her Hogwarts letter;

* * *

The mail slot made a snick as several papers came sliding into their home. Mr. Granger made no move to go and get them, to invested in listening to his daughter chatter happily about a school report she had done. Having made the top grade from everyone in her school, she was quite proud of her achievement and had been going on about it most of the summer. Of course her parents had congratulated her and rewarded her for this, but now three weeks into her summer vacation, they had expected her to move on to a new project.

Hermione however seemed fixated on her study of owls and would not get off the topic. She had done extensive research, even pushing back to almost ten years ago when an unexplained pattern had emerged in the owl behavior for a brief period of time. Finally her mother was forced to cut her off saying "Hermione dear, why don't you go hang out with your friends outside for a while today?"

Her daughter's face fell at once, and she muttered something indistinct about the mail as she hopped away from her breakfast. The parent's exchanged upset looks, as bright as their daughter was they were rather concerned Hermione never seemed to get along with her school mates much, but didn't get a chance to bring it up for the rest of the summer, to full of the new life their daughter was in.

When Hermione came back into the kitchen, giving most of the mail to her parents and then taking her own seat back to open her own bit of mail, with an odd stamp on the back; consisting of a coat of arms with a Lion, a Badger, an Eagle, and a Snake.

* * *

There's not really much of a point to this one so much as I like the idea that Hermione was always a bit standoffish...


	20. The Marauders

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

How they became the Marauders;

* * *

There were only four Gryffindor boys that year. Two of them had already met on the train and had become fast friends. However the other boys that had been in Sirius and James compartment during the train ride over had all been sorted into other houses. They didn't meet there two new roommates until after the feast in their dorm that night.

The two friends didn't think much of either boy, neither seemed like the kind they could have any fun with, so only the basic information was exchanged before they began ignoring each other.

Then the first weekend of the school arrived, and all four boys once again found themselves in each other's presence, in McGonagall's office.

James and Sirius were in there for being caught out of bed. It was the first time James had shown Sirius his cloak, and the two were inexperienced their first night using it, so it was of course the other's fault they got caught.

The argument was quickly cut off as McGonagall escorted another boy in, Peter Pettigrew. Only after their Head of House left one more time did they demand to know why the shy little kid was in here, and he admitted he was trying to sneak down to visit a friend of his who had been sorted into Hufflepuff. They had agreed to meet up, but Peter had been caught along the way.

The last boy was brought in there by Filch. McGonagall hot on both heels. It was there last dorm mate, Remus Lupin. They didn't get a chance to ask what that quite boy had been doing, because McGonagall then spent a solid hour tearing into the four of them about how Gryffindor was better than this. She took a huge chunk out of their house points, and then escorted them all back to their dorm, making sure they knew where to met her for detention the next night.

Peter and Remus, both shamefaced, made to tear up to their room without a backward glance, but were stopped by Sirius saying "Hang on, we're back in our dormitory now, so I'd like to know how you" he nodded at Remus "got caught out of bed."

"Yeah" James jumped in, his eyes shining with bright curiosity "You've hardly spoken a word all week."

Remus hesitated, looking longingly towards his bed before sighing and saying "I, ah, I kicked Filch's cat."

All three boys made choking noises before, as one, taking a step closer and Peter demanding "Why? I mean, don't blame you one bit, but-"

"She was following me while I was headed towards the grounds yesterday, just to get out of the castle. I saw her tonight, and she hissed at me, and I just kind of-" he made a swinging motion with his leg "guess I kind of got myself caught really."

"Why were you out on the grounds?" Sirius asked, nearly bouncing in place in anticipation. Clearly he and James had read both these boys all wrong. They were both sneaking about and trying to do something they weren't supposed to. This could be fun.

Remus' face went bright red for a moment as he shrugged and said "Just exploring a bit is all. I get bored sitting around upstairs."

James and Sirius paused to give each other loaded looks, before nodding as one, then James turned to them and said "Boys, we've got just the idea."

* * *

Okay so this one always bothers me. Whenever I read fics about Peter hanging around with the Marauders, it either doesn't involve Peter at all or makes Pete a sniveling coward and pathetic looking. Excuse me but does that sound like a Gryffindor to you? Yes I know that their basis for this is how Sirius describe him in the third book, but that was Twelve years of bitter memories warping what was once a best friend. No, I'm sorry, but this is my take on how Peter Pettigrew became a Marauder. Oh and Remus, in case the meaning wasn't clear in this, was looking at the Shrieking Shack.


	21. Colors

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

A small snippet of Teddy Lupin;

* * *

When Teddy was an infant, his hair turned color to match that of the person he wanted to hold him. This worked well when he wanted his godfather, which was often, but it became incredibly confusing when he sought a Wesley. There were many hasty rounds of pass-the-baby-because-dear-Merlin-stop-the-crying!

When he got older, he started changing his hair color to indicate his mood. His Grandma could always tell he was lying when his hair would flash, however briefly, turquoise; his mischievous color.

As he aged, he demanded stories of his late mother and father, his hair flashing a brown with gray streaks he had only ever seen in pictures.

On mother's day, he would always walk around with bright bubblegum pink hair.

Teddy Lupin never got to meet his parents, but he showed their true colors every day.

* * *

Special thanks to Starrya47, who's been reviewing every chapter, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.


	22. Blame

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Why Remus think's it was Sirius:

* * *

"Peter, what are you getting at?" He asked cautiously. Having known him for many long years, Remus could tell when something was bothering any of his friends. Peter had been acting odd for a few months now, always avoiding the rest of them, hardly ever coming around to see Harry.

Lily said he was simply down, and still coping with the recent death of his mother, but the boys couldn't help but wonder if something else was getting to him. Now Peter had shown up at his door, asking if he knew where Sirius was, and swearing if Peter told him something he couldn't go telling Sirius.

Peter's eyes darted nervously to the door, then back to Remus, before he seemed to chicken out and blurt "Nothing. I'm just being, ah you know. I'll be around Remus-" and before he had even finished speaking he was walking back out the door.

Remus tried to follow him, made to reach out and physically stop his friend from leaving, but with a loud crack, his old school friend had disappeared.

Remus wouldn't see him for twelve years.

* * *

Short and vague, but since Sirius had never told Remus that they had switched secret keepers, and eyewitnesses claimed Sirius had killed Peter, plus this little instance...well you can see how Remus might think the worst.


	23. Arrested

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Sirius getting 'arrested':

* * *

He was at the Leaky Cauldron when it happened. The front door was blasted open and his wand was flying from his hand before he even had it fully risen to defend himself. They had him in handcuff's and were dragging him to the back alley way to disapparate before he could even finish demanding to know what was going on.

Tom watched the whole thing silently. Black and three other's were a regular around here, but who was he to interfere with the Ministry?

While the rest of the pub settled down and began gossiping at once, Tom's eyes kept ghosting to the door for the rest of the night, waiting for the inevitable visit he knew he would receive.

Indeed he got just that as, late into the night when he had shooed out the drunk's for the night and his resident's that took room upstairs had all gone to bed, a brown haired youth was surprised to come in and see the bar keep still up and cleaning some glasses that were clearly long since done.

"'Ello Tom" he said, making his way cautiously upfront, his eyes scanning the whole room.

"Lupin" Tom nodded in greeting.

"Ah, I have a bit of an odd question" he began, still looking about the dark room as if expecting to find someone passed out in a corner, Tom cut him off before he could keep going though.

"Yeah, Black was here today. Got hauled off by some ministry officials, didn't know what to say about the whole thing."

The man's head jerked back around so hard, Tom was sure he heard something pop. "What, when!?"

"So you didn't know" he sighed, placing the glass back down and leaning heavily on his side of the wood before telling the man what he had seen.

His green eyes went wider the longer Tom kept talking, before he hurriedly thanked him and ran back outside.

HPHPHP

"James!" Remus yelled, appearing at their house so suddenly he set the baby off.

"Remus" Lily snapped, as she began patting Harry on the back and giving him the stank eye "You know better- what's wrong" she cut herself off at the man's appearance.

Remus didn't giver her an answer, but instead ran up the stairs. Lily made to follow but had only gotten halfway up there when both men were back, looking harassed. They made to push right past her, but she stood her ground.

Even with an infant in her arms, she was the picture of fierce as she demanded to know what was going on.

"Sirius has been arrested" Remus hurriedly answered, his eyes already darting towards their front door "I can't go to the Ministry and defend him, but James-"

"For what" Lily balked, her arms tightening at once around Harry.

"I've got a good idea" James responded, one of the darkest looks either had ever seen on his face "and I'm going to kill the lot of them if I'm right." He then kindly placed his hands on Lily's shoulders, gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, and Lily then stepped aside as the boys dispersed from the house.

They didn't actually slam the door behind them, but the moment they had left Harry began crying again.

HPHPHP

"-we will ask you one more time, Black where were you-" the guy, Sirius had honestly forgotten his name, tried repeating the question. After the first time Sirius had answered, and they had instead repeated the question, clearly not taking his answer as truth, he had simply ignored this question.

There was blood trickling into his eye, he wanted to go back to his house and take a nap, and he hated being at the Ministry for any reason. Being trussed up to a chair was at number one right now. All of this culminated with the stupid questions he was being asked made for a testy retort if he had even bothered to give them one.

Sirius had been so out of it, that it took him a moment longer than it should have for the banging of the door behind him to register. What he did take notice of was his accuser taking to his feet and saying "-Potter you're not allowed in here!"

"Shove it Crouch" James snapped. Sirius grinned to himself, oh these boys were in for it now. Despite being chained to a chair, he still tried to crane his neck around and say in a chipper voice "Bought time you got here, now the party can really start!"

James was standing almost directly in front of him now, and Sirius didn't even need to see his face to know the look of outrage that was there. He was surprised the stupid Wizengamot didn't back right out of the room. James only glanced back briefly to look Sirius in the eye before turning back to the general protests and saying "I'm here as a witness for Sirius Black, not that you've given him a chance to request one. Since you didn't give him his reasons for arrest as you arrested him, I've a right to enter whenever I please, instead of waiting for the public hearing."

Crouch opened and closed his mouth for a moment before demanding "How would you know, as you weren't present-"

"I will explain that upon the actual hearing. Now I want to know what Sirius is being accused of." James cut him off and balled up his fists, clearly fighting the impulse to go for his wand and curse them all.

Crouch gave James a very dark look indeed before reading out the charges "Sirius Black is under questioning for his whereabouts towards the end of this past September."

Sirius couldn't see James face from behind, but he heard the shift in tone as he probed "In regards to?"

Crouch's scowl actually got heavier, something I hadn't thought possible after I told him what I had might have been up to on that day, and who it involved, and maybe a few colorful details from the woman... my lucid thought process was cut off as he answered "In regards to an attack on a muggle home near his place of residence."

"What's your evidence then?" James snapped, crossing his arms and planting his feet. I knew that stance, he clearly already knew he'd won this argument.

"That will be told, at the hearing. For now, we were merely establishing if Black would give us any testimony, but given his attitude we will have to hold him in Azkaban, until the trail-"

"I have evidence claiming of his whereabouts all that day" James cut him off "I would have mentioned it earlier, but I just wanted to see what excuse you guys had cooked up."

Crouch spluttered in disbelief, but James was talking over him, saying "I've known his whereabouts every day for the past month, because he's been around at my place. Helping me babysit my son."

Barty Crouch scowled and began swelling up and huffing "You can't honestly tell this court he's been living there with you-"

"Maybe not" James agreed "but in case you've forgotten Crouch, Voldemort's put a price out on my son. Even you don't know where me and my family are staying, but this man behind me does. That should tell you something."

Completely sure he had already won this argument, he turned to Sirius, tapped his wand on the chains, and then assisted Sirius to his feet, supporting him as they exited. No one tried to stop them. Remus was bouncing on the heels of his feet outside the courtroom, and quickly took Sirius' other side, despite protests from said man.

Only after they had gotten back to Godric's Hollow, and Lily was hurriedly going through her drawers to find a potion to help the cut above his eye, did Remus and James try to get the whole story out of him.

He and Peter had met up at the Leaky Cauldron, had ordered a few drinks, and a bit after Peter had left, Sirius had been ambushed by a bunch of Auror's. Sirius couldn't tell them much after that, he'd been knocked on his head during the struggle and hadn't been paying to close attention to what they were saying to him, knowing it was all a load of tosh. They supposed that Sirius had just been accused of the crime for his name.

They tried to get a hold of Peter that night, but for some odd reason he didn't seem to be around.

* * *

Yeah this was a long one, but I liked the idea that Sirius was thrown straight into Azkaban without a trial, and that Crouch used the excuse they had given him one back when the man he had 'murdered' defended him. Since I don't actually say it, this takes place about a month before the Halloween Lily and James die, and Peter was setting up Sirius by giving an anonymous note to the Ministry saying Sirius had attacked some Muggles. Side note, I know in her letter Lily says James had been cooped up, but since James went straight to the Ministry and back home for his friend, I can imagine he was willing to risk it.


	24. Empty Seat

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

Random moment demonstrating a level of hate for Sirius from his own parents;

* * *

The train whistle howled loud and clear, and the train's wheel's began pulling off. James, Peter and Remus exchanged very uneasy looks as they scanned the platform that was beginning to fade beneath their feet, then glanced back into their usual compartment that now held an empty seat. Had Sirius simply gotten on the train without their noticing? He must have, since the Black's had been seen dropping off Regulus. Sirius' friends had been expecting the last surely Black to make his entrance as far behind his supposed family as possible, but now it seemed they must have just missed him in the crowd.

As the train started to really pick up speed, they backed into their carriage and began to pull the door shut, when Peter shouted "Wait!"

Startled and turning back around at once, they saw quite clearly what had their friend shouting out. Sirius was running towards the train at full speed, his trunk under one hand, and his owl clutched tightly in the other. James reacted first, pulling his wand out and summoning his friend. Clearly startled, Sirius lost his footing as he sailed forward, tumbling into his friend face first, luggage and all.

James groaned miserably as Remus and Peter made quick work of disentangling the pair. Sirius sat back, red-faced and tousled, and only after his stuff had been stored away and he plopped down on a seat did he huff "Thanks. Could have been a little more subtle about telling me how much you wanted me-"

"Shut up Sirius" James groaned, sitting up himself now and rubbing at his abused rib cage "and tell me why the bloody hell you were so late."

"Can't do both now can I" he grumbled, pushing his hair out of his face, and finally sitting himself up in a more dignified fashion. Then immediately slouching in his seat and rubbing at his left arm.

"You all right there?" Remus asked in concern.

Sirius eyed them all wearily, and waited long after they had taken their seats and the trolley had come around before saying "It hurts."

Peter snorted and snapped "Well thank you for that, we thought you were rubbing it for fun."

"Come on Sirius" James huffed "Why did you almost miss the train, and what's wrong with your arm?"

He sighed, let his head fall back against the cushion and answered the ceiling "Cause my parent's are off their rocker."

"We discovered that several years ago," James nodded "but I'd like specifics if you don't mind."

"What'd they do this time?" Remus asked in sympathy.

His head lolled back to stare them all down for a moment before he sighed and said "They decided against informing me they were leaving this morning. Basically been ignoring my existence all summer, so I shouldn't have been too surprised, and since I couldn't apparate with them to the platform I had to ride my broom here. I'll be lucky if I wasn't seen, and fined for it!"

Peter, Remus, and James all called his parents a different curse word each, and Sirius smiled indulgently at them after saying that he had been far more colorful when he realized their actions. Then of course James had to remind him of their other question, and Sirius simply shrugged and just said he'd landed on it. Remus demanded to see it to make sure it was alright, and after a bit of joking about their paranoia he showed them an already growing bruise.

His friends spent the rest of the train ride convincing him it would be just fine in time for the Quidditch season, and to stop being so dramatic, while they all were silently coming up with some kind of solution so this wouldn't happen again next year.

* * *

Kind of a pointless insert in showing the kind's of low's Sirius' parents went into ignoring their kid. I always hoped at some point Harry was going to tell Sirius what all the Dursley's did to him, and they could commiserate together about their awful childhood. Clearly this never happened, so while writing this, I envisioned Sirius telling Harry this random moment.


	25. Gone to Far

Does it really need to be said, I do not own the books.

James rescuing Severus;

* * *

He and Peter were making their way up to their common room. They had been held back in their last class, and they didn't really need to be late tonight. So when they were half running down the hallway, they didn't at first take notice of the voice that called out "and where are you lot off to in such a hurry? Off to torture some more first years?"

Sirius seemed to recognize the voice first, or at least he froze up and whirled around before his friend had even reacted. Peter groaned as he seemed to know at once what was about to happen, while Sirius puffed up his chest and said "Why, I thought that was your job Snivellus! It is you after all who makes all the girls around here walk about with plugs in their nose."

His pale face lost a little bit more color as he glared with absolute hatred at Sirius. He opened his mouth to snap something right back, but Sirius was in no mood for it now, they were late enough "We're going to the Whomping Willow you prat. Going to have a nice poke at the tree, care to join us?" Then the pair of them bustled off before he really could say anything.

"Sirius" Peter hissed at him "why did you do that?"

Sirius released a snort of mirth as he turned a sharp corner and gave his friend a look of disbelief and demanded right back "What? It's not like he's going to believe me."

Peter made to argue the point, but at that moment they had reached their destination. Glancing around, Sirius quickly opened up the hump of one particular statue, then the pair of them slide in.

The two of them changed forms, it was much easier to fit in this space on four legs instead of two, they made quick work and finally met up with their third friend out front of Honeydukes.

"About time" James muttered as he eyed the two animals "come on, we're going to be late."

The two took hold of their human forms again, then shared space under James' invisibility cloak. There was silence for a moment before Peter grumbled, seeming unable to help himself "Just hope we get there first."

"What's that?" James asked, only slightly distracted.

Sirius nudged Peter in the ribs hard, causing him to stumble.

"Knock it off you two" James snapped at them "this is hard enough already without you two bickering. Our feet are already showing, man this was easier in our first year."

"So sorry we just happened to get a little bigger four years later" Sirius grumbled.

Peter, undeterred from either boy, continued on as if there had been no interruption and answered James question "Sirius decided to invite someone else tonight."

Sirius stopped and really did punch Peter this time, snapping "Would you let it go? Snivellus isn't going to-"

"What are you two going on about?" James snapped at the pair. He had suddenly gone very still, his eyes going back and forth between the pair with more anxiety than they were used to seeing.

Sirius crossed his arms and told them they were exaggerating, but Peter told James about there quick encounter before they had come here.

James suddenly went very pale, then without warning he turned into his Stag and galloped off. Sirius let out a derisive snort as he continued following at a much slower pace, he and Peter still on two legs.

"You're both idiots" the black haired youth continued growling all the way there. "We're going to get there before Madam Pomfrey leaves now. Just because I told him what we're doing-not going to listen-"

Peter eventually phased him out. When the two did get there they froze at what they saw.

James and Severus, doubled up and panting on the ground, just inches away from the tree. Disregarding all formalities now, they ran forward until they were in shouting distance, and Sirius demanded "What-"

"Don't," James wheezed, his fist clutching the grass as he looked up and around at him "just don't."

Severus seemed to be regaining his composure faster, as he staggered to his feet, glaring around at all of them as he hissed "Lupin's a werewolf! You, you lot," he broke off, then made a run for the school.

"We've got to stop him" Peter yelled, already beginning to do just that.

"Let him go" Sirius snorted in disgust, eyeing his form with distaste. That look of fear angering him more than he would have thought. "Who's he going to tell, Dumbledore? He already knows."

Even if he hadn't been watching Snivellus make his way to the castle, he wouldn't have had the sense to duck as James Potter cracked his fist against Sirius Black's chin.

Sirius stumbled back, more in shock than anything, as he turned wide-eyed and demanded "What the bloody-"

"I should ask that" James snarled, his fist clenching up again as he continued looking on at Sirius as if seeing him for the first time. "What in your bloody mind made you think it was a good idea to, to tell him about, this!"

"I didn't" he snapped, starting to get mad himself now "Jeez, would you listen to yourself. I didn't tell him to come here, I just-" he broke off in disbelief as James snorted with mirth.

"No, you just told him to come here is all."

"James" he growled "it was a joke. How should I have known he'd take me at word?"

"You guys" Peter jumped in, his eyes flickering from one to the other, "Remus is already in there, transformed and everything. James and I will go in there with him" he stated, looking to that boy, then he turned surprisingly cold eyes on Sirius and finished "and you can go up to the school to make sure Remus isn't expelled in the morning."

His mouth actually sagged open in shock for a moment. He quickly shook it off and snarled "You out of your mind? Remus didn't do anything wrong-"

"Because that's surely what Severus is going to tell them" James cut him off again, his voice brittle.

Without another glance back, the pair of them made their way back down the slope of the tree, leaving a cold breeze to ruffle a lone figure in the full moon light.

* * *

This is actually going to be a four shot, but since the other's are still in the works and this can still stand as a one shot I decided to post it now


	26. Night Wore On

Takes place in between Gone to Far, and Fight, might move it there myself later.

* * *

She found him first.

He had been making his way up to the castle, feet dragging, mind still circling over what the bloody big deal was. He would have to go to Dumbledore, tell him that Snape kind of figured out what was down at the Shrieking Shack, and then leave. He just so happened to be walking out on the grounds, past curfew. His involvement need never be known, he just so happened to come upon the event, yeah cause that was going to work.

Then McGonagall was marching towards him at top speeds. Sirius froze, and for a moment he actually considered running. He had never seen her quite this angry before. Her lips were as thin as could go, her nostrils were constantly flaring, she looked ready to spit fire.

When her eyes did land on him, they narrowed into slits, and then she pointed back towards the castle and began walking that way herself, not looking back.

It took him a few floors to realize he was being taken to Dumbledore's office.

He was still to distracted to really care much, stuck on James and Peter's reactions. So Snape had gone and nearly gotten himself hurt, what exactly were they blaming him for again?

McGonagall lead him into Dumbledore's office and didn't say a word to him as she continued in further to go and fetch the Headmaster. This wasn't the first time he'd been in the office, and he was still too lost in his own thoughts to particularly care and take another look around.

Both adults came in, Dumbledore looking angrier than he'd ever seen him, which automatically made him take a seat across from him and hang his head in the expected 'shameful' look.

Instead of yelling like he'd expected, he merely requested in the quietest voice "Explain."

Sirius winced, almost wishing he would shout. That heartfelt disappointment cut far deeper than he'd expected. So he gave a quick rundown of how he'd met Snape in the corridor, how said Slytherin had provoked him, and he'd casually thrown out how he should spend the rest of his night, ending with "-it was a joke really, how was I to know he'd really do it?"

How many times had he said that tonight?

McGonagall started off by taking so many points off, it made him do a double-take. Without even giving pause, she then spent what felt like a fortnight digging into him about what a stupid, careless act that had been. He zoned out after a few minutes, his friends faces still plaguing him.

"-ought to expel you for this stunt!"

That finally brought him back to life, he lunged to his feet, his eyes flashing wildly between his Head of House and the Headmaster. "What! No, look I'll apologize. I'll, I'll do as many detentions as you want, but please, I- no one got hurt!"

The teachers exchanged a look that drove me crazy, because I couldn't read them. Then she turned back to me and asked slowly "Mr. Black, aside from your careless jab at suggesting a student go and play with a dangerous tree, I would like to know if you know what is under that tree."

Sirius swallowed hard, rocking back on his heels as his mind geared into fast forward and floundered all at once. He wasn't exactly supposed to know about Remus, of that he was sure, but if he admitted he did that would land him in even more trouble. If he didn't admit though, would they know he was lying?

He'd stalled for too long, so he blurted out "Ah, I've heard rumors, like anyone else."

Well, that wasn't a full lie anyways.

Dumbledore gave him a pensive look, blue eyes x-raying him. It took all the effort Sirius had not to wring his hands together. Finally he turned away, back to facing McGonagall as he said "I shall leave the final decision with you Minerva, but I feel Mr. Black seems repentant enough of his actions."

McGonagall's nostrils flared, she continued glaring down at him with utter contempt, and for a heart-stopping moment he truly feared this might be his last night here.

For one brief second, he thought of being shipped out, back to living with his parents. He could barely stand being around them during the summer holidays, but back to living with their deranged ways full time? Thankfully that mental dialogue was cut off as the Professor finally said "You have detentions every day for the rest of this year. Come see me in my office tomorrow after classes."

With that she swept from the room, and I was left staring miserably after her, then glancing back at Dumbledore. Feeling obligated, I began "Thanks-"

But he cut me off by taking to his feet and saying in the gravest voice "I don't want to hear that, I want to make sure nothing of this magnitude ever comes up again. You will be very lucky indeed if I can convince Mr. Snape not to take actions against Mr. Lupin in a more ah, public nature."

Sirius took an automatic step back, feeling close to fainting all of a sudden.

"Pro-professor, he can't! Remus didn't do anything!" Then he winced and shuffled his feet in shame as he fully realized what he had just admitted. For a horrible second he even wondered if he was going to call Professor McGonagall back and have him kicked out anyways.

Instead, he gave him a pitying look, and said "That will be all Mr. Black, please go back to your dormitory now."

Sirius stood there, shaking at the horrible prospects. Remus could be dragged before the Department for Dangerous creatures, he could possibly be killed, all because of him! He'd go down to the Slytherin common room himself and make Snape disappear before that happened. Dumbledore turned to probably go back to his own private room, so Sirius took a hasty step forward and blurted "Professor, please, I'll do anything, just don't let them hurt Remus. Snape, he won't-" he cut himself as he realized, there truly wasn't anything he could say in that moment.

Dumbledore just shook his head sadly from side to side, before finally exiting as well. Sirius stood alone in an empty office, the night finally sinking in.


	27. Fight

More follow-up to the last one;

* * *

"-you incompetent, idiotic-" Remus just seemed to keep going. There really wasn't an end in sight, and the longer he went, the angrier Sirius got. At first he had seemed to think Remus being angry was funny, that had passed after the shouting had begun.

After he seemed to have run out of insults, and began circling back into repeating a few of them, Sirius finally cut him off by snapping "What are you still yelling for? So I screwed up, you're not the one in trouble with every teacher in this school are you! Would you just let it go!"

Remus went bug-eyed, his mouth gaping open in shock as he spluttered "You think I'm mad because I could have gotten in trouble. Sirius, I could have killed him, and you don't care!"

Sirius opened and then closed his mouth for a moment, before shaking his head in disbelief. "Really Moony, don't you think you're exaggerating just a bit?"

"Okay you two" Peter finally cut in, his eyes flickering between the pair "perhaps we can pick this up again when we're all a bit calmer."

"Don't bother," Remus snapped, glaring at Sirius with the darkest eyes either of them had ever seen, "now I know there's no point."

He turned his back on him and began making his way up to the dormitory, leaving the two of them in the empty common room.

Sirius gave the stairs one more fiery look before flouncing into an armchair and grumbling "Can you believe those two? First James, now him-"

Peter hesitated, his eyes ghosting between his ruffled friend and the empty staircase, before he whispered "Do you really not care what you did? What you could have done."

"Not you to!" he exploded out of the chair as loudly as the words that had escaped. The pent up rage he had contained while Remus yelled at him washed over Peter now; "How about I blame you for this stupid mess! You didn't have to go telling James, and then Remus! What was the good of telling them I sent Snape down there?"

"So you'd have rather I hid that from them? Lied?" Peter demanded right back.

Sirius hesitated for only a moment, but it was enough. Peter shook his head in disgust, then he to made his way up the stairs, leaving Sirius more alone in that moment than he had been in his life.

* * *

Sorry for the delays on this, can promise to have the next one up sooner.


	28. Rumors

Make up to the previous fight;

* * *

Rumours plagued the school for the following month. After all, the four boys who had been the center of attention from their fist year here, suddenly became a three pair.

What could possibly drive a wedge between those four? No one knew the answer, but that didn't stop many of the Gryffindors from trying to mend it. After all, two of their Quidditch players, unable to stand being in the same room, couldn't possibly be any help in their upcoming match!

That quickly ended when Sirius cursed one boy so badly that he wound up in the hospital wing for a month. Gryffindors resigned themselves to a failed match after that.

Seeing as the final match of the season had boiled down to Slytherin vs Gryffindor, tensions had already been running high between the two houses. The Quidditch captain, Edric Vosper, was demanding near constant practice for his team, made slightly difficult when one of his Beater's didn't show up for any practice.

Vosper would have made a bigger deal out of it, this was his last game at the school, but the problem was he couldn't find Sirius Black to yell at him for it. He was never seen in the Gryffindor common room, and since they were three years apart they didn't have remotely the same schedule. Resigned to a defeat, he seemed to be taking it out on the rest of his team, working them longer and harder than ever.

The day of the game, Black finally made his appearance, and Vosper threatened to not let him play at all. Then Sirius brought up the point that there wasn't a reserve Beater, but Vosper could go find one in the span of five minutes before the game started.

Frustrated but being forced to acknowledge that argument, the team walked onto the pitch in the foulest mood possibly in Hogwarts history.

One sharp blast of the whistle, and the commentary began.

"And Potter takes possession of the Quaffle at once, passes it to Vosper, who passes it back to Potter, who duck's a hit from Slytherin Beater Nox- would you look it there folk's, the new Slytherin Seeker is already going into a dive, this could be something, it's Black's first game after all-"

Sirius turned sharply and nearly fell off his broom when he heard that. His eyes scanning the game to see if McKinnon was out of her mind. Surely the announcer had the sun in her eyes, or the wrong name... then a green blur darted past him.

Sirius only caught sight of his baby brother for a minute, but it was long enough to stun him in midair as his mind floundered. He hadn't spoken to Regulus in ages, yet how had he missed the fact he had made his own house team?

"Black" Vosper roared as he flew past, Quaffle tucked safely under his arm "pay attention!"

Sirius shook himself, gritting his teeth in annoyance at himself for being so easily distracted, and pelted off towards a bludger that was being aimed for James by the opposing Slytherin beater.

He never knew what happened. His friends tried to describe what happened to him later, but they never went into too great a detail, and he never asked them to.

He woke up in the hospital wing three days later, with Remus not even hiding the fact that he was in the chair next to his bed, dark circles under sleep deprived eyes. James and Peter were hiding under the cloak because Madam Pomfrey had kicked them out at curfew, then again that had never stopped them from sneaking in to see Remus.

They talked a lot that night, about how if he hadn't woken up the next day he would have been sent to Saint Mungo's since he should have woken up already. How they had known Sirius long enough they shouldn't have overreacted when he did what he always did, spoke without thinking.

Sirius tried several times to apologize for his actions, but for some reason, seeing Sirius nearly get his head bashed in made an apology null and void.


	29. Furry Little Problem

The Marauders explaining their nickname to a random student at school;

* * *

"Why do you call him that?" A fellow Gryffindor asked one day.

Peter whipped around to appraise the little first year, before responding "Call him what?" clearly stalling for time.

"Moony" the kid responded like he thought Peter was being daft "I don't get the joke."

"That's his rabbits name," James said loudly, a grin beginning to play across his face "he's got this silver rabbit at home, and Remus named him Moony. He's quite the furry little problem."

Remus smacked his head on the table, but the kid shrugged, clearly appeased by this answer, and turned to walk off. Remus glanced back up to see his friends shaking with laughter as he hissed "A rabbit? That's the best you could come up with!"

"I was put on the spot" James defended, almost unintelligible from his shaking voice.

"Last week you came up with an essay worth of excuses why it wasn't you who turned Slughorn's mustache blue, and now you get stumped!"

His friends were no longer listening, they were still too busy laughing.

"So what should I say next time someone asks me why I call you Prongs?" He deflected, "his heads so big he needs the antlers for support?"

They didn't even seem to hear him, and his three friends were promptly kicked out of the library by Madam Pince for making too much noise.

* * *

This one is probably the epitome of pointless since Remus explained clearly what he was talking about, but I wrote it down anyway, so I hope you enjoyed it anyways.


	30. Independent

Peter turning over to the dark side;

* * *

Peter's mother was killed by Death Eater's. While this is never proven, Peter doesn't even tell his friends this, he thinks it constantly for almost two years straight, before he go's crawling to Voldemort and offering his support. James and Lily had a baby now, and Sirius had a girlfriend he was always hanging around and Remus was attempting to get a job at Gringotts since Goblin's don't care he's a werewolf... and Peter had no one.

It's gradual, but Peter begins to feel a bit left out, so he convinces himself his years at school were all twisted, and that his 'friends' hadn't really seen him as such. What should he care if his Master wanted some whelp. What was it to him if the purebloods took over, then there wouldn't be anyone to tease him ever again. He wouldn't need those so called friends, who were now too busy for him anyways.

Of course, that's what he told himself, the true act of his betrayal didn't seem to hit home until he saw their bodies.

After the little scene Sirius had made, and Peter's bigger scene that gave him some relative safety for now, he went to Godric's Hollow to see just how much Black had been exaggerating this time.

James and Lily were dead. So was his Master.

He could not return to the life he had, he had ruined that. The idea of hiding out to live with muggles was almost as unbearable as being sent to Azkaban, so he contented himself with staying in this rat form.

It wasn't ideal, but it kept him safe, just the way he liked it.

* * *

So I've seen a lot of theories, ranging from even before school or right afterwards Peter was a sniveling coward who ran to Voldemort first chance he got. Then there's the ones that try to defend Peter, say he was tortured into giving up the information. I see this as being a happy median. Peter was scared, and that fear built with time. Then when he did go over to the Dark Side, he couldn't turn back... hope you liked


	31. Joking

Joking Conversation

* * *

"What happens if you put a werewolf on the moon?" Sirius answered Peter's question. Really, how had they not walked in and immediately joined in this conversation, rather then asking what they were talking about.

"He'll explode and die, because there's no oxygen on the moon" Peter said at once.

"We never said we'd send him up without a suit, you absolute monster" James told him with a straight face.

"You are all going to be the death of me" Remus vowed.

* * *

I just really wanted to post this conversation, it has no connection to anything.


	32. Broken

Small moment in Harry's life with his family;

* * *

"Come on kid, say it with me, Padfoot!"

The toddler giggled at him then cried happily "Moony!"

"No, that's not it at all! It's Pad, Foot! Hell I'll even take Uncle Sirius over that!"

"Moony" he insisted as he continued giggling in his mother's lap.

"No, no, no! Come on now I'd rather take your mother's smarts over James mouth at this point. Padfoot!"

"Remus" the baby suddenly cried

"James, your kid is broken!"

* * *

Another short goofy one, kind of sorry...


	33. Snapeshot

Mrs. Weasley's feelings before Bill's wedding.

* * *

She ran her thumb over the picture for what felt like the millionth time, her first baby ever born, now all grown up. The infant in the snapshot was only a month old, already his bright red hair was standing on end, clutched tightly in his father's arms. If she had known then what she knew now, would she change it? All of her baby's fighting in this terrible war. Her eldest, marrying at far too young an age, to a woman he barely knew but claimed to love. Yet was she one to say anything? When Arthur in this very picture was hardly a years different than Bill now? Would they be happy, or would it all end in disaster? Could her entire family really make it out of this alive? She hadn't realized she was crying until the moving people in the photo began edging away from the water droplets, and she quickly brushed the tears away and tucked the photo into her pocket, making her way forward to greet all of their guests.


	34. Kitchen Fire

Kitchen Fire

* * *

We'd only been married for two weeks when Lily nearly burnt the house to the ground.

In her defense in was half my fault.

She'd been down in kitchen, brewing a potion. She had warned me she'd never tried it before, and she wanted to test her skills at it or something. I came in through the back door late that night, placed my broom on the nearest chair, and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. She only half turned her head to give me an indulgent smile but shooed me out of the kitchen almost at once. I wanted to protest, but Sirius had followed me in and was already trying to drag me out as well, so outnumbered the two of us had gone into the living room and started playing a game of chess to pass the time until Remus and Peter got here.

Then we smelt the smoke. Lily's small yip of surprise came seconds later, and the two of us had our wands out and were barreling towards the kitchen, nearly knocking the couch over in our haste.

Lily had already handled the problem before it even registered what had happened.

Turns out I'd left my broom tail side up next to her caldron when I had come in, my brand new top of the line international racing broom my friends had gotten me as a wedding present. The glossy hand-picked tail stream was now a crispy still slightly smoking black nub, and the gold lining where it linked to the rest of the broom was still ashen as Lily's face.

She took one look at me, and instead of turning on me and snapping that it was my own fault for leaving it there, she burst into tears.

I didn't even hesitate as I rushed forward, taking her into my arms and promising that it was okay, I didn't blame her, and a couple of other things that I don't even remember saying. I'd just been trying to calm down her hysterics.

Sirius made some joke, Remus and Peter came over and initially had the same freak out as us when the first thing they smelt was smoke, and it eventually became a running gag that no one was ever allowed near Lily again when she was doing a potion.

* * *

random yes, but it's a crap ton better than what I've been putting up here lately, so I hope you still enjoyed.


	35. Mundane No More

Mundane No More

* * *

Bill and Charlie continued to glance around wearily, more worried by the second the more students jumped off the train and all but barreled into waiting families anxious arms. The vague notes Ginny had sent their parents had only been brief and of so little substance it was a wonder why she still sent them except to prove she was still alive.

When the eldest brothers finally caught sight of their baby sister, they swore in unison and almost tore her away from a blonde girl she had been talking to, cataloging every visible injury.

A split lip and a blossoming black eye were only the most vivid of Ginny's injuries, there was a bruise across her left temple and a fading but deep scratch etched from her right eye down to almost her neck. Before either boy could demand what happened, Ginny simply said "Can't I please go home and tell you all at once, you know they aren't going to be any happier."

Without waiting for a response, Ginny turned and waved back at her friend, and exited the train station with her brothers shadowing her. After walking a discreet distance from the crowded station, they each grabbed hold of her and apparated back to the Burrow. Fleur was the only one in the kitchen when they arrived, and while she at first glanced up and around with a warm smile, it quickly melted into shock and she swore violently in french.

She was on her feet and bustling around to their side of the table at once, switching randomly between her native tongue and english as she demanded "-happened- all those-"

"Fleur," Bill interrupted kindly "I'd like to know as well, but since I'm the only one vaguely following you, I'd suggest calming down first." She stopped from twisting Ginny's head in the light to better inspect said injuries, and took a deep breath while Charlie gave one more anxious look at the young girl before almost sprinting from the room, to go fetch his parents Bill knew.

Bill and Fleur escorted Ginny to the table, and Fleur used the short pause to jump around the kitchen to make Ginny a pot of tea while Bill took up an almost casual though still territorial seat next to Ginny, still giving her furtive looks that she was pointedly ignoring.

There was a crash from above, and the three only had to wait a moment when there was an audible sound of feet running down the stairs and Molly and Arthur Weasley made their entrance to the kitchen, making a beeline right for their only girl. Charlie appeared a few steps behind them, with Fred and George hot on the tails. Bill arched a brow in surprise, he hadn't realized the twins had come over while they were out, but he was glad they were all the same.

There was a huge hubbub for several minutes while all the Weasley's talked at once, trying to find out what had happened to their youngest, when Arthur finally resolved the situation by throwing a few bright red sparks from his wand. Then, with the closest thing his children had ever seen to sternest crossing his features, he turned on his daughter and demanded "Who did this?"

Ginny would have taken an automatic step back had she not still been seated, but her reply came swiftly enough "Where to start? At least school isn't exactly mundane anymore." She blinked once, a benign smile creeping across her face as she elaborated without prompting "Look, it's not that bad, I'm not even the worse one. Neville's got this huge lump-"

"We didn't ask about Neville" Molly cut her off severely, bright red still coloring most of her face in anger as she pulled out her wand and began casting a few silent spells on her daughter to help ease the healing.

Ginny nodded in ascent, recognizing there was no point in continuing to delay what she'd never have been able to put into words in her letters anyways. She looked around the room one more time, taking in almost her entire family staring right at her, and finally relinquished the horrible story. "Hogwarts happened to me." She released a blistering breath, and they saw anger beginning to flare up in her as she explained "Those awful Carrow's is what. They're so horrible I don't even know where to begin. From the first day of term they've been going about the school, punishing anyone they didn't think they liked. At first it was just detentions and stuff, but even before the first month was up it was already getting worse."

"Detentions like Umbridge's?" Fred demanded, remembering her regime all too well.

Ginny gave a sardonic laugh, eyeing him pitifully. "The Carrows make Umbridge look like a princess. No, this" she gestured to the black eye "is a tame punishment for someone who speaks out against them. They've gotten to where they're starting to use other punishments like Hex's and-" she broke off when her Dad convulsed and stumbled back like someone had just slammed something over his head, making Charlie put a concerned hand on his shoulder.

He shook it off quickly, demanding "Ginny, this has been happening to you all year? Why didn't you say anything?"

To their horror, they saw her bright brown eyes get a glossy look about them for a few seconds, before she blinked and it was gone and she replied calmly "Our mail's being checked, Dad. I couldn't have told you even if I could find the words to properly explain, I'm not even doing a good job now. Besides, you can't do anything, no one can. Snape's not exactly stepping out against this, and we all know the Ministry is backing him."

The horrid silence that came after that little speech was one of the longest that ever lasted in this particular kitchen.

Really though, what could they say? The world was falling apart around them.

* * *

I reserve the right to use this as an opener in a full-blown HP story I'm working on, but until then enjoy this small snippet.


	36. Outside

Again, very random, very irrelevant to anything, but I just enjoy writing them all so much. Kind of sorry I don't seem to have any very good Peter moments in this series, but his character is really stinking hard to write for. If you guys have any suggestions of moments you'd like me to do, give me a sign.

James, Sirius, and Peter deciding to become animagus:

* * *

They were all sat around, lounging under their favorite tree. Professor Sprout was crossing the green in the distance, giving them all suspicious looks, but unbelievably the four boys weren't up to anything too bad in that moment. The teachers were far too used to seeing this set out on the grounds more than in the actual castle, so she made no move towards them but kept heading in her original direction.

Remus was currently taking a light nap, just out of reach of the shade and soaking up the sun, with his hands tossed behind his head and snoring lightly. James and Sirius were arguing in the actual shade, over a book of all things; an Advanced Guide to Transfiguration between them. If one were to walk past though, all they would have seen was Quidditch Through the Ages, so no one looked twice at the squabble. Peter was a few feet away from the group, tossing rocks into the lake, and occasionally tossing in a comment to pre said argument, though he was mostly on look out as he would occasionally get up and stretch, pacing a few lengths away from the water. It had been his observation noticing there Herbology teacher in the first place.

It was all quite peaceful in nature, but the underlying mood of the group wasn't quite matching. The next full moon was tomorrow night, and they wondered if they might not have found their solution to helping their friend, but the logistics of it weren't exactly working in their favor. There was a reason after all this type of thing was monitored and registered under the Ministry. The more the group dug the more problems they found of what could go wrong if they messed this up. This had hardly ever deterred them before, but it wasn't something they were prepared to take lightly on this matter. They were currently doing some rather advanced studying on one branch of Transfiguration, and seemed limited on their options since the Hogwarts library didn't exactly give explicit details and instructions on what they were looking for, 'that would be like the school helping them break law's' according to Peter.

With the school year ending soon, they finally came to the conclusion they would have to look more into the matter during the summer, since one of the requirements they had found seemed to consist of them holding the leaf of a mandrake in their mouth for an entire month.


	37. Quiet Time

Takes place after the scene with Arthur in the hospital, but before his friends 'intervention'

For Starrya47 who requested a Sirius and Harry moment. Any more requests, have at it.

* * *

Harry tried, he really did, to keep himself to himself during his stay at Grimmauld place during the rest of his winter stay. One person in particular wouldn't have it. Sirius came up to his room, let himself in, and then closed the door behind himself before Harry could protest.

"So," Sirius began, digging his hands into his pockets and casting a look around the grim room "how was Arthur?"

"Good" Harry said, eyeing him curiously, still trying to figure out why he was in here.

Sirius waltzed over and sat down on the edge of the bed, now eyeing Harry curiously as he continued "so then what's bothering you?"

Harry couldn't tell him, he couldn't tell anyone, so he swiftly changed to something he'd been wanting to ask his Godfather "what's your Patronus?"

Sirius released a surprised snort of laughter. He could tell Harry was diverting, but he gave him the benefit of the doubt, and a swift smile appeared on his face as he answered. "A dog, of course. Made me laugh like crazy when Remus told me what your's was."

The conversation spiraled out from there, and for quite some time Harry and Sirius just sat there and talked. Only a light conversation, inconsequential in the scheme of things really, but it was a small treasured moment to the both them.

* * *

Sorry it's so short, but I tried my best to fill in a moment that I fully agree was missing from the books.


	38. Unfair

George was never able to produce a Patronus after Fred died. I've read this a few times, and it still makes me want to cry, so I wrote this because you know...feels.

* * *

"Ex-Expecto Patronum!" He knew that charm, and the cry came easily to his lips, but all that came out of his wand was a thin whispering vapor.

The Dementor continued to edge closer, a deep rattling breath sucking away any air, and leaving him with a phantom.

"Expecto-" they were in the Room of Requirements, and Fred had just made a coyote appear from the end of his wand. George scowled good-naturedly at him, and after only two more attempts, he to made his guardian animal appear, but it happened to be a raven. The two animals gambled about the room, chasing each other playfully.

"Expecto Pa-" the Dementor swiped away the pitiful defense, a cold lifeless hand reaching towards his face, intending to end his life, and he welcomed it.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A silver bright Ostrich came storming onto the scene, waving its feather's around threateningly, and brandishing away the creature.

"George, George! Look at me!"

He blinked several times, noting that it wasn't the one he wanted to see, but a love of his none the less. Angelina was bent over him, concern etched into her every line as she continued to demand if he was okay.

"I, I saw-" then he sobbed. The memory of his brother, the clearest and most defined thing he'd had to cling to in a long time, and he'd welcomed the chance of death just for that lasting moment. His wife said nothing, wrapping her arms tight around him, promising never to let go.


	39. Vulnerable

Moment between James, Lily, and Remus;

* * *

"James, I found him!"

Remus glanced up and around in surprise to see Lily's shoulder, her head clearly back around the corner. On any other day he would have rolled his eyes at her for shouting like that in front of a secret entrance, but now he'd much rather just shut the mirror back in her face.

Not moments later the couple were crouched in front of him, looks of worry on each of their faces. James quickly sat down on his left, but Remus beat him to a question by asking "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," he rolled his eyes as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. "Sirius and Peter are out on the grounds looking as well."

That wasn't what he meant, so he rephrased "Why are you looking for me?" Of course he knew the answer, he'd expected his friends to come after him, but after filching the map he'd thought he'd have longer than fifteen minutes to himself. Why James had allowed his girlfriend to come he'd no idea.

James answered accordingly by stating "after the way you reacted to your Patronus, Moony I'm surprised you waited for class to be dismissed."

Remus eyed Lily wearily, knowing he had to be very careful how he responded, but as she continued to meet his eyes, he caught sight of something he'd only ever noticed in his fellow Marauders.

"James didn't tell me" she said at once, still smiling knowingly at him.

"Peter did" James amended at his friends still skeptical look "he thought I had told her, then of course I really couldn't just lie. Sorry mate, this only happened over the weekend, meant to tell you."

"I'll give you boys credit" Lily smiled indulgently at him, obviously trying to show as much as possible through the warmth in her voice how little she cared "you all had me going with your little stories. Class wouldn't have meant anything to me today, if I didn't know" she added on thoughtfully.

Remus turned away from both of them at once, distracted from Lily's underwhelming reaction.

"So that wasn't what was bothering you," James grumbled "going to tell us what is?"

He seemed to enjoy tugging on the sleeve of his robes rather than answer, so James took another brave stab and asked "can't be your hatred of what form your Patronus took? That would just be stupid, s'not like you can help that personally. I thought mine was hilarious."

"Course you would" Remus grumbled while Lily swatted James with good nature; the couple had certainly gotten quite a bit of ribbing from their classmate for their matching animals.

At Remus wince upon James question though, he knew this time he'd guessed right. "Oh come now Remus" James chided at once "we'll have this conversation till I'm blue in the face! So your Patronus is a wolf, bet you're not the only one in the world. What makes you think you're less of a person because of it?"

"I just" he was now twisting the fabric in his fingers so violently it was in danger of ripping as he continued "panicked I guess. I feel like, if you guys weren't around, I wouldn't even be human. This didn't exactly help." He hated how vulnerable and pathetic he was sure he sounded right then, all the more agitated that had come out in front of Lily. He could also almost hear James grinding his teeth in frustration at his continued 'idiocy and lack of the correct words to describe this' as Sirius so often put it whenever Remus made snippy little remarks about how 'not human' he was.

Before James could start snapping at him what an idiot he was being, Lily cut him off with much kinder words "Remus, really. I can't claim to know you half as well as James, but even I know that's bollocks. You're one of the most kindhearted people I've ever met! So, someday soon, when you meet someone who will tell you the same thing and add on a little kiss, you'll realize how ridiculous you're being. Personally I'd do it now, but I don't think this one would appreciate it" she finished, giving a cheeky little smirk to James.

"Damn right I wouldn't" James scowled even at the playful joke.

Remus couldn't help but smile at the pair of them. He knew he'd overreacted, that he was being ridiculous and of course his Patronus didn't really mean anything. It still gave him the warmest of feelings to know that he'd always have his friends around to remind himself of that.

* * *

Sorry RoboTitaness. I know you requested this because the last one was so depressing, and this one kind of ended that way as well, but I hoped you liked it anyways.


	40. Suspicious

Why Sirius thinks it was Remus:

* * *

"Don't do it Sirius, don't-" too late. The wand had appeared in the man's hand, a bright flash of light shot out of the end, and the man fell dead before his friends warning had even registered.

His face was blank and cold as he stowed away his wand, then turned to face Remus and said "You going to tell on me?"

It was an old joke, that used to be funny. Now as the two stood over a body, it fell flat like dead air.

Remus swallowed, his eyes still flickering between the corpse and back when Sirius snapped "he was a Death Eater, and you were trying to get him to surrender. Merlin sometimes I wonder about who's side you're on" Sirius snapped, already turning away. It had been a long night, he felt exhausted and wanted to go and check on James before he really went to bed. Next weekend was his birthday after all, he thought he deserved a bit of a break. It took a few steps to register that Remus hadn't called him back, or corrected him for his little snap, or done anything really. He turned on the spot to disappear, and felt a sudden bolting chill of fear when he saw the look of unease he left behind on someone he once would have never considered…but he was being paranoid surely. Nothing was going to happen.


	41. Ghost

Pathetically short update, especially considering how long it's been since I've updated which I apologize for. Any and all requests will be considered and most likely done.

McGonagall watching the scene between Harry and Malfoy (during SS and there first flying lesson,) through her window.

* * *

A ghost flew past the window.

For a moment that was all that registered as Minerva McGonagall turned away from grading her papers to see a black haired youth go whizzing past her window, only for her to poke her nose farther over the edge to truly see what was going on. First year Harry Potter was speeding towards the ground at top speeds, clearly after something by the determined look she made out on his face, and she only got the briefest glimpse of something shining as she pelted out of her office and sprinted towards the grass outside.

From the moment she stepped foot on the grounds though, and witnessed the boy safely on his feet being congratulated for his effort, she knew full well what should be done about this.


	42. Midnight Conversations

Another of those vaguely pointless chapters I'll admit, but I kept giggling while writing this none the less. Hope it makes you at least smile.

* * *

It was fast approaching midnight, but the fifth years boys dormitories was being as obnoxiously loud as ever. Oh the lights were off and they were being quite as far as the rest of the castle was concerned, all to the standards of the Prefect sharing the room, but that didn't stop the exhausted conversation from ensuing.

There was blessed silence for a few lingering seconds until, "Why is it James? Is there more than one Jame? How many James? Who decided that name should be plural?"

"Go to sleep Sirius!"

Sirius blatantly ignored that as he continued "I mean, who decides what any name should be. Who sat around and deviced our language and said, 'every person from now on will say it this way!'"

To the groaning annoyance of the other two, Peter finally jumped in with "well not one person did you know. There are other languages out there Sirius."

"Yes" he continued with even more enthusiasm now that he was sure he had an audience "but who? Where did all of these languages come from, why do they have some things in common but are so radically different."

"Both of you got to bed before I glue you to the cieling" James groaned, for once as against these nighttime conversations as Remus, which may be why Sirius was so set on one tonight.

Sirius still took no heed, even sitting up in bed now, and using his hands for emphasis, "but think about it, why isn't Peter, Peters! Why are some names-" he was finally silenced, a muffled protest from suddenly locked jaws that was easily ignorable the only thing now audible.

"Sorry that took so long" Remus sighed from underneath a pillow, the light shining from the window making it seem as if he hadn't moved an inch. "He moved my wand again."

James merely grunted in answer, and Peter quickly slipped into snores now, deciding to take the silence while it lasted.


	43. Protective

"Jeez, can you believe that guy's a Weasley."

Fred looked curiously around at his last name, and saw a dark haired Ravenclaw walking away, muttering to his friend, who had the same coloring, though was several inches taller. He seemed in agreement though as he grumbled right back "tell me about it, always bossing us around, he's not even our Prefect."

Fred grimaced now as he realized who was being spoken of, and turned to catch up with his brother in silent agreement, until he caught the next part. "Kind of makes you wish the Heir of Slytherin would go after him, pureblood or not."

"Oi!" The shout of indignation was out of his mouth before he'd even fully taken a threatening step forward, a scowl now in place. "You take that back."

Both boys turned in shock, then looked at each other in confusion when they saw who it was. The shorter of the two gave an uneasy smile and demanded "what? I thought you'd agree? I've seen him telling you off just as much, he's a right prat."

"Yes, but he's our prat" George spat, nearly startling Fred as much as the other two boys, but he hid his reaction well and crossed his arms in agreement, managing to place his hand closer to his wand.

Despite their clear shock, neither of the twins wavered though. It was one thing for them to mess around with their brother, it was another all together for anyone to be casually throwing around that sort of insult. These two were probably of those same blighters who'd been saying Harry was the Heir anyways, ridiculous if you even spoke to him. They were not just going to stand here and allow anyone to throw around that sort of insult about their brother.

They both hesitated a moment longer, and it was clear from their own features they were greatly debating whether it was worth the fight, before the Prefect in question showed up, a grim face appearing at once as he sized up the square off.

"Alright, move along, all of you. Come on, get to class" he said, shuffling his arms towards the two boys. Now outnumbered, the Ravenclaws made their leave, and Percy then turned accusing eyes on his younger brothers and demanded "and what was all that?"

"Nothing Percy" Geroge grinned at him with all the innocence in the world.


	44. Digging

Ron's thoughts while moving the boulders aside during CoS:

* * *

Dust was everywhere, coating his hands, stinging his eyes and mingling with the sweat, and still he shoved on. By now his bright red hair probably looked more gray then his Uncle Bilius' had, but that didn't cross his mind until much later. He'd started with some of the smaller one's, brushing them aside and testing to see how they fell before judging on if he even could move the larger boulders.

His hands slipped, and he smashed face first into a particularly jagged one, probably causing a cut where his eyebrow still stung, and still he kept working at it, the only thought on his mind now to get through. Harry was on the other side, going after his sister. He just had to get to her, help his best friend. The thought of turning back would never cross his mind until he knew for absolute certain where they were. He'd take on the Heir of Slytherin himself with his bare hands if it came down to it.

Fingers nearly scraped raw, ignoring the shuttering of his lungs as he shoved and pulled to get yet another boulder out of the way, he considered taking a break just for some air. Was he losing his oxygen at this end? Didn't matter, the image of Ginny at breakfast that morning made him keep going, how worried she'd clearly been, how he'd done nothing to help her.

Finally, something gave way, and he had to duck to the side as a hole crumbled just large enough for him to shove his arm through. He grinned with satisfaction, ignoring the mingled taste of sweat, dust, and blood leaking into his mouth as he brushed that aside to get a good look. He was confident now he could wiggle himself through that, he would even if he had to dislocate his bloody shoulder to do it, when he heard the best noise in the world. Harry was coming forward, Ginny in tow.


	45. Zoned Out

At this rate I think I'm just going to do all of the Marauder train scenes...

Sirius' ride back from first year

* * *

The scenery was flying past the window at breakneck speed, in reverse order from how he remembered, with the opposite feelings he recalled since that time. The other three boys didn't seem to realize it at first, they were too busy enjoying their last few moments of magic by tossing a hexed ball amongst each other. If you held it to long your hands would change texture to crocodile's scales.

James was having too much fun to ask who Peter had stolen it from, but when the ball landed in Sirius' lap and he didn't even flinch, James decided that was a case for alarm.

Their friend had his face pressed to the window, practically trying to curl himself into it, looking for all the world like he wanted to melt through and be anywhere but here so James took it upon himself to poke his seat mate and demanded "what's gotten into you, you've been getting quieter all week."

"Which honestly I hadn't thought you capable" Remus added on in light tones, clearly looking for a rise.

Sirius blinked a few times like he was coming out of a daze before pasting a smile and saying "eh, just not looking forward to spending the summer is all."

His tone held some sincerity, but what little truth they felt from this seems to hold in itself as much of a fib.

James and Remus exchanged a curious look, but Peter was the first to say "oh, what rubbish, who dosen't look forward to the longest holiday. No homework!"

"Peter" Remus began in exasperation "we do have essays due-" but Peter cut him off with an elbow to the ribs, still eying Sirius and continuing like Remus hadn't interrupted.

"That of course means that I'm going to be bored out of my mind all summer, you'll have to come around to my place and entertain me."

Sirius only hesitated for a second, then a real smile did appear and he was as quick as ever to shoot back "think I could bear that for a few weeks, assuming your mum doesn't smother me."

James couldn't help but snort as the two started taking friendly shots at the other, jesting at who was going to kill who before the first week was up. James couldn't help joining in before long, happily adding in that they all had to come to his place, so he could die of laughter as they got lost in his mansion.

Joking aside, Remus was still considering, as were all three of them as they returned to their normal conversations, wondering if there was something Sirius wasn't saying about his home, guess they'd just have to make him a new one.


	46. Present

So I was rereading HP PoA today, I know shocker right, and I found the section where Remus has stamped 'Professor R. J. Lupin in peeling letters' and I wondered, why were they peeling? If he was only given the job over the summer it shouldn't be faded out already? So I came up with this, hope you enjoy

* * *

"Moony, what on earth are you doing?"

"Having an argument with this book, and losing" he sighed, glaring down at the pages before turning his full attention on Sirius. One glance was all it took, and he could see what he hadn't gathered from the tone with his hands stashed behind his back, he was up to something; which put a bit more suspicion in his voice then was called for. "Why do you ask?"

"Because the correct response was, getting ready to go back to our dorm, though I was supposed to be there hours ago."

Remus glanced at his watch and rolled his eyes stating "yes, I know you lot were planning to ambush me with a birthday surprise, I'm just not in the mood this year."

"You're not in the mood any year" Sirius reminded, taking a seat beside him and still managing to keep whatever he was hiding out of sight. "Something I will never understand, who doesn't enjoy their birthday?"

"I just don't understand making a big deal of it, I've only turned fifteen, it's not all that" he muttered, though he knew that they knew the reason anyways. He could hardly afford his books, and whatever extra money he scraped together he could hardly ever use on getting his friends anything for their birthdays, yet clearly five years in a row now they'd decided they were going to do something for his anyways.

Sirius ignored him anyways and kept going like Remus hadn't spoken "so, we decided if you won't come to us and get it all over at once, you get them whenever we catch you and it just drags out all the more. That's your own fault, so here." He plopped down a box onto Remus' text, successfully dropping the essay he'd been trying to use it for to the floor.

Remus gave the box a rather dirty look, but considering the last time he'd tried to ignore a gift from Sirius he'd retaliated by filing a classroom with dancing pineapples and disrupting a group of first years whole class period, which he'd somehow managed to get the blame pinned on Remus; he decided it was best to get this over with. He plucked with no enthusiasm at the tape until it came off, then cracked it open and gave a peak inside, all for exclaiming a thanks and going back to ignoring him for the day, when he really saw it.

It was a simple brown case, with the words Professor R. J. Lupin stamped on in shining letters.

Madam Pince was likely to come around the corner any moment now and tell them both off Sirius began laughing so loudly at the stunned look on his face. He couldn't help it though, he hadn't even told his friends this, how on earth?"I, Sirius how-" the words just kept trailing off as he gently lifted it out.

"You're not as subtle as you think Moony" he chided, still looking abundantly pleased with himself.

He was clearly sitting there expecting a 'thank you' any second, which is why it took him by surprise when Remus actually hugged him instead. Sirius tried to wiggle free, now laughing all the harder, which Remus took no notice of.

* * *

Might do a companion peace on Remus pulling this out of his old stuff, and using it later, I've done some really short ones in the past and this one wasn't too long either, so I might do it.


	47. Imperiused

I know I've been away forever and a day, but here's a big juicy one. I'm not telling you what the scene below is like I usually do, it'll ruin the surprise.

* * *

"James, is that you?" Lily asked, rubbing absently at her swelling stomach in the kitchen as she stirred the pot.

They'd both heard the door close, but when no response came Lily looked up and around in surprise, still finding just Remus in the room with her. They shared an uneasy look, and though it may have been paranoia, they both reached absently for their wands. The other three Marauders knew better than to try and sneak up on them.

Remus set the paper aside and got to his feet, his hand casually in his pocket as he crept towards the front door where they still couldn't hear any such noise. Lily trailed a few paces behind, one hand curled instinctively around her abdomen, the other holding firmly to her own wand; prepared to curse any intruder in her house or her husband for freaking her out, preferably the second.

The two stepped into the living room, but their unease didn't lessen one bit as they took him in.

The good news, it was James.

The part that still had their wands trained on him, he wasn't acting like James. He was blinking around the living room with a passive look on his face, like someone studying a new place with disinterest. He hardly acknowledged their entrance, and when his eyes did trail over to them, he only got a vague sort of smile on his face.

"Prongs?" Remus asked carefully, still standing protectively in front of Lily and clearly not looking to move an inch.

He didn't respond, instead his hand began lazily moving towards where he kept his wand, and Remus shouted "get down," even as he lunged towards his friend.

Lily bolted behind the couch even as a red streak of light went smashing into her husband, knocking him to the floor as he was stunned.

The two stayed tensed for several more moments, until Remus began edging towards him and Lily muttered several spells to make sure no one else could get into this house until further notice.

Remus did a few spells over James, and he came back to Lily's side now looking almost murderous as he helped her to her feet. She tried to get out around a clogged throat "is that-"

"It's James" he got out through gritted teeth, as this seemed to be a large spot of his ire. "Imperiused is my best guess." He couldn't deny that their was almost relief in his voice as well, better to have the real James here, alive, and safe than Merlin knew where doing they didn't want to know what to him somewhere else and an imposter doing this.

"Oh." That was all Lily could seem to get out as she pressed a shaking hand to her mouth, watching him lay motionless on the floor. He'd just stepped out to go to Peter's house, what on earth could have happened between there and coming back?

"I need to send word to Dumbledore" Remus placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to keep her attention. "I doubt he's learned how to break the curse since our last meeting, but he should still be told what's going on. We'll keep him stunned until then, yeah?"

Lily gave a sharp bob of her head, her mind still flying with too many horrible possibilities of what James could have been sent here to do.

It seemed to take years, though it was probably only minutes. Remus was pacing in between the couple, as he clearly wanted to stay at James side but refused to leave Lily, who'd adamantly protested against leaving the room. They had no idea what was taking Dumbledore so long to respond, and just leaving James on the floor like that seemed to be keeping them both on their edge.

It was as his heel was turning for another pass did Lily barely have time to screech "Remus, watch out-"

The stunner had worn off, and James surged to his feet with hardly a bat of an eye and belayed the wand this time, his hands going right for his friends throat with that glazed over look.

Remus reacted like any man would, his first instinct to reach up and try to pry the fingers away, struggling with all his might to wrestle out of the grip, but even as Lily watched she could see the conflict as his wand dithered, some base part of him still unwilling to curse his friend off of him.

Lily raised her own wand, but she couldn't get a clean shot without possibly hitting Remus, and were his lips turning blue, but then James gasped as loud as Remus did when his hands fell away, he staggered back shaking his head, and then he fell back to the floor, sobbing.

Remus didn't seem to notice, or care, that he was rubbing at his throat as he staggered over to him, whispering "James, Prongs are you-"

"I'm sorry" he gasped, huddling tight into himself and still trying to keep away from both of them. "I, I've never felt anything like that. I swear, I didn't mean, but I did, and-"

"It's alright dear" Lily murmured, ignoring his protest of trying to shove her away, managing to duck under his arm and keep herself at his side. "We know, it's going to be okay."

"We know you didn't mean it" Remus promised, though James still couldn't even begin to look at him, as the area around his throat was already starting to darken with a bruise. "We're all going to make it through this war James, I promise."

James buried his face in his wife's hair, but somehow Remus' words managed to begin to slow his shaking.

* * *

If you like reading the books type fanfics, Bookhater95 has a really good series. He, or she I've never asked, is partway through the fourth book and shows no signs of stopping. A lot of these moments you've been reading in this series are small moments that author has thrown into their reading series, and with permission I elaborated on them.


	48. A Squibb

Yes, I know I still owe a chapter on The Summoning, and I promise I'm almost done with it now, just a bit of editing and I'll have it up sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I had this put together...

The Marauders realizing Filch is a Squibb

* * *

"What's up Wormtail?" James asked as his last friend came in with a faraway look in his eyes.

"I'm just happy he's back at all," Remus muttered with his face still in a pillow. "Now we can all go to sleep and stop imagining the tortures Filch had him doing." Then he gave an exaggerated snore for emphasis.

Peter sunk down onto his bed, not even pretending he was listening to those around him.

"Oi," Sirius barked as he chucked a pillow at him, surprised that they hadn't gotten any such response. "He try to do something nice in front of you and stun you or something?"

"No," he finally answered, and he sounded so confused that even Remus looked up from his face cushion. "Have you lot ever noticed Filch doesn't do magic?"

They all exchanged a perplexed look before Remus answered slowly, "no, guess we hadn't noticed. Been over seven months now and I've never seen him lift a wand." He now sounded just as perplexed as Peter did.

"What was your detention over anyways, that brought all this up?" Sirius asked.

"We were down in the dungeons cleaning up some potions mess, and I was very politely asking him," Remus couldn't stop a snort and hid his face back in his pillow with mock exhaustion to hid his laughter at such a thing coming out of his mouth, "why he didn't just magic it away and Filch just snapped at me to shut it, but then I realized I'd never seen him do any magic."

"You think he might be a Squib?" Sirius asked almost before Peter had finished speaking.

"That was a leap," Remus got out around a yawn. "I've never seen Dumbledore actually do magic and I'm not questioning his ability to do it."

"Dumbledore's not some bitter old man who hates everyone in this castle," James reminded. "Actually it kind of makes sense, he'd resent all of us for going around learning magic when he can't."

"Think we should be testing this?" Sirius suddenly asked with a different light in his eyes.

"No more than we already have," Peter shrugged as he began removing his shoes.

"Well whatever we do, can it be done when there's daylight outside," Remus groused from under his covers now, and the others gradually fell silent.


	49. Fifty Pence

Shell Cottage stood silhouetted in the distance, looking welcoming after so many months of a ranky old tent. Even as the wind cut through his jacket though, standing on the edge of the apparition point at the warm lights, he'd give anything to see that tent again. Still, Ron couldn't unclench his fist from his pocket, to walk forward into a warm bed and a hot meal like he knew his brother would offer. There would be questions which he wouldn't answer, and disappointment that he'd have to face.

He kept picturing her, the tears beginning to leak through her eyes as she begged them to stop fighting, but Ron couldn't stop, the words pouring out like venom as every foul thing he'd ever thought about his best friend came shooting out of him. Christmas was fast approaching, and it only made him remember last year, how much he regretted being with the wrong girl, all his wasted time. She would keep them warm though, until he found his way back. He clutched the little fifty pence in his pocket tight around his fingers, as a reminder, a promise he'd always figure out how to come back.


	50. Memories Don't Fade

Peter's thoughts when he learned of Sirius death in the Department of Mysteries.

* * *

"At least it wasn't a total waist-"

"Honestly Lucius, Bellatrix was the only one who even killed a member of that damn Order," Rookwood's voice cut him off in disgust.

"Not like it was anyone important," Dolohov scoffed, "anyone could have taken down Black, useless as he is. Spent how long now shut up somewhere in his mum's basement after all," he finished with a high cackle.

Peter froze on the other side of the door, his heart stilling his chest though his eyes didn't leave the parchment he was supposed to be analyzing. His master had thankfully opted to leave him out of the raid against the Department of Mysteries, and Peter had been grateful, he'd told himself. Who needed to deal with that brat falling into a trap, he was likely just going to get his stupid head blown off anyways...

And he didn't care of course! About any of it! Sirius had made that clear, he hadn't wanted to hear him out in that stupid shack where they'd spent so many years together! All he'd done was blame everyone around him, just like he always did, couldn't see for himself all Peter had been trying to do was live through it.

It was all well and good for those two, they didn't mind dying, obviously as Sirius had probably kicked the bucket doing something foolhardy. He could almost imagine it, the idiot laughing and taunting, the wrong spell catching him...

Peter wanted to laugh. He tried for it now, but his hand was shaking too hard, and he couldn't see anything past that for a moment. Then he realized he was getting ink all over his work, and he prodded the parchment quickly to clean that away.

It's not like he cared, he told his hand, the still human, flesh colored one that had once nearly been torn off itself when it had been caught too close to Moony's mouth. Padfoot had jumped in and caught him out of the way in his own mouth though, while Prongs fielded him and got the blow instead, deadly teeth flashing across antlers and snapping one clean off.

There was a knock on the door, and he gave a guilty little jump, stuffing both hands out of sight and calling out for whomever it was to enter.

One of the Carrows, they were both so ugly Peter had a hard time telling them apart, told him there was a meeting, the Dark Lord wanted all of them to hear of what had happened at the Ministry.

Peter eagerly went to follow, but instead was subjected to a lengthy retelling of their fight with the Order. He laughed along at those stupid children's naive attempts to escape them, he hissed in frustration upon Voldemort's lose, and he triumphed with those that the Order had the prophesy no more than them.

Black was dead, Potter was wounded, and the Dark Lord would continue to plan anew.

Except when he tried to picture it now, it was still the burning ashes of Godric's Hollow.


End file.
